Rail link between Sylhet, rest of country restored after 18hrs

Rail communication between Sylhet and the rest of the country resumed on Thursday afternoon, around 18 hours after an oil-laden freight train derailed near Montola Railway Station in Habiganj.

The derailment occurred near Montola station at Madhabpur upazila of Habiganj district, disrupting train services to and from Sylhet. 

Railway operations returned to normal around 4:00 PM on Thursday after the derailed wagons were recovered and the damaged tracks repaired, confirmed station master Ataur Rahman Khadem. 

According to officials, the Chattogram-to-Sylhet-bound freight train carrying fuel oil derailed around 9:30 PM on Wednesday while crossing the station. 

Five wagons went off the tracks; four overturned beside the railway line, while one fell into a nearby waterbody, bringing rail connectivity with Sylhet to a halt.

A rescue train from Akhaura reached the scene around midnight and began recovery operations.

Following the accident, locals rushed to collect spilled fuel, leading to chaotic scenes. 

To restore order and ensure safety, members of Border Guard Bangladesh, along with police and army personnel, were deployed at the site.

Acting commander of BGB Habiganj-55 battalion, Syed Ishtiaque Morshed, said that personnel recovered and stored approximately 1,000 litres of diesel, preventing wastage of government resources.

Dhaka Divisional Railway Manager ABM Kamruzzaman stated that recovery efforts were temporarily delayed because one wagon had fallen under a bridge into water.

A five-member investigation committee, led by a divisional transport officer, has been formed to determine the cause of the accident and submit a report within three days, added Kamruzzaman.

The disruption caused significant inconvenience to passengers traveling to Sylhet, with many trains stranded at various stations and schedules heavily disrupted. 

SH