With one of Jharkhand’s most severe rail accidents, South Eastern Railway has made substantial progress in clearing the wreckage near Badabamboo, located in the Saraikela-Kharsawan district. The intense recovery operation, which began forty-two hours ago, involved the deployment of bulldozers and cranes to remove the damaged railway coaches.
This effort aims to restore services on the vital trunk line connecting Eastern and Western India. A senior official from the South Eastern Railway’s Chakradharpur division indicated that the resumption of train services is anticipated to begin by the evening of August 1, 2024. In response, the Union Government has announced an ex-gratia payment of INR 10 lakh to the families of those who perished in the tragic accident.
“While we remain optimistic about restarting services tomorrow, we are still awaiting formal confirmation,” the official noted. Current efforts are focused on clearing the derailed coaches, repairing the tracks, and reinstating the damaged overhead electric cables. The official further elaborated that repair teams are working continuously to expedite the process. “We hope to commence trials on the route by Thursday morning,” the official added.
The third track, which was cleared for operational use at 19:55 hours, has since seen its first train depart at 20:55 hours on July 31. This goods train, carrying engineers and senior railway officials, is conducting a thorough inspection to ensure all safety parameters are met before passenger services are reintroduced. The incident, which occurred at approximately 03:45 hours on Tuesday, involved the Howrah-Mumbai Mail (12810) derailing near Badabamboo. Of the 18 coaches involved, 16 were passenger coaches, one was a power car, and another was a pantry car. The accident resulted in two fatalities and approximately 20 injuries.
