Rail link to be partly restored by afternoon: Railways

KOLKATA: The rail link between north and south Bengal which remained snapped since the derailment of the Guwahati-Bengaluru Express near Malda yesterday is expected to be partially restored by this afternoon, Eastern Railway sources said here.

"The Up line is expected to be functional around 4 pm today. It will take a little more (time) to repair the Down line but we are hoping to make it operational by tonight," the sources said.

Stating that rescue operations had been completed, they said, adding that work was now on to clear the tracks of debris and restore them.

Three cranes, each of 140 tonnes capacity, were being operated at the site for clearing the debris, the sources said.

A train carrying the stranded passengers of the Guwahati-Bengaluru Express will leave Malda for Bengaluru at 5 pm today. A fully air-conditioned train will leave the Kolkata station for Malda this afternoon to clear the rush of north Bengal-bound passengers, the sources said.

Meanwhile, a report from Malda said the Commissioner of Railway Safety has reached the accident site and begun investigations.

The condition of five injured passengers admitted to Malda Sadar Hospital was stated to be serious.

One person was killed and 50 were injured when 11 bogies of Guwahati-Bengaluru Express and a passenger train derailed after a collision at Jamirghata in district yesterday.

The passenger train was coming from the opposite direction on the second line when the driver applied emergency breaks after seeing the derailed coaches but could not prevent the train from brushing against the coaches.