Train schedule disruptions linger two days after Gazipur collision

The Railway is still grappling with train schedule disruptions two days after the collision of two trains in Gazipur's Joydebpur.

The Rangpur Express left Kamalapur station after eleven and a half hours delay at 8:30pm today (5 May). Besides, the Dhumketu Express was delayed by five hours. 

Apart from this, almost every train from Kamalapur to the country's North-West region left several hours late today, causing suffering to passengers as they waited at the station amid intense heat.

Nusrat Akhtar, a passenger of Rangpur Express, said, "The children have become tired waiting in the heat and now sleeping on the floor. We couldn't eat properly at noon. My body hurts sitting in one place for a long time."

After getting frustrated by waiting for a long time, many left the station after returning their tickets.

Kamalapur Station Manager Masud Sarwar said it will take another one to two days for the schedule to return to normal.

"We are working to minimise the delay. Hopefully, major schedule delays can be averted tomorrow and there will be no more schedule disruption from Tuesday," he said.

On Friday (3 May), a Dhaka-bound passenger train collided head-on with an oil tanker train near the outer signal of the Joydebpur Railway Station and injured at least three around 11:00am.

Five carriages, including the engine of the Tangail commuter train, and three carriages of the oil tanker train were derailed in the incident.

The collision disrupted the schedule of all trains running between Dhaka and the northern regions, resulting in the delay of at least eight trains on Saturday.