Bilaspur: A major train accident occurred in Chhattisgarh's Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district on Tuesday, when a goods train carrying coal derailed near Bhanwartank railway station. The train, which was en route to Bilaspur, witnessed the derailment of 23 coaches, including the engine.
Railway officials and emergency teams quickly arrived at the scene to assess the damage and initiate relief operations. The accident has caused a large pile of coal to block the tracks, resulting in the cancellation of six trains and the diversion of nine others. The route remains severely affected, and both up and down tracks have been completely damaged, with the restoration of services expected to take at least two days.
Additionally, overhead electric (OHE) wires and signal poles were also damaged in the incident, causing further delays. Preliminary estimates suggest that the railways could suffer significant financial losses as a result of the disruption and derailment.
Trains 08747/08748 (Bilaspur-Katni-Bilaspur MEMU) – Canceled between stations
South East Central Railway (SECR) made an announcement that due to the derailment of a goods train between Khodri and Bhanwartank in the Bilaspur division of, the operation of trains on the Katni route will be affected.
Train No. 12549 Durg - Udhampur Superfast Express will take a diverted route on November 26, 2024, and will travel via Durg - Rajnandgaon - Gondia - Jabalpur - Katni - Mudwara to reach its destination.
Train No. 18242 Ambikapur - Durg Express will remain canceled on November 26, 2024.
Train No. 18241 Durg - Ambikapur Express will remain canceled on November 26, 2024.
Train No. 12854 Bhopal - Durg Amarkantak Express will take a diverted route on November 26, 2024, and will travel via Jabalpur - Gondia - Durg.
Train No. 12853 Durg - Bhopal Amarkantak Express will take a diverted route on November 26, 2024, and will travel via Durg - Gondia - Jabalpur.
Train No. 15159 Chhapra - Durg Express will take a diverted route on November 26, 2024, and will travel via Jabalpur - Gondia - Durg.
Train No. 15160 Durg - Chhapra Express will take a diverted route on November 26, 2024, and will travel via Durg - Gondia - Jabalpur.
The incident has caused widespread disruptions on the Bilaspur-Pendra Road-Katni railway route. The following trains have been cancelled/ altered on November 27, 2024:
Train number 08740 (Bilaspur-Shahdol MEMU) – Canceled
Train number 08739 (Shahdol-Bilaspur MEMU) – Canceled
Train number 08747 (Bilaspur-Katni MEMU) – Will start from Shahdol station
Train number 08748 (Katni-Bilaspur MEMU) – Will terminate at Shahdol station
Railway authorities have set up “May I Help You” booths at key stations such as Bilaspur, Raigarh, Anuppur, Shahdol, Uslapur, Durg, Raipur, and Gondia to assist affected passengers.
