NFR: Narrow escape passengers of North Lakhimpur-Guwahati Jan-Shatabdi Express

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Passengers aboard Train No. 12048, Jan-Shatabdi Express from North Lakhimpur to Guwahati had horrifying experience on 9th April, 2025 due to uncoupling of engine from the coaches two times on run at mid section.

Paper cutting published in local newspaper

The prestigious bi-weekly North Lakhimpur-Guwahati #JanShatabdiExpress was a gift to #Assam that was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on 3rd January, 2025 at Guwahati and was on regular run since 7th January, 2025.

April 13, 2025: “Editorial: A Crisis A Day – Loss of Direction & Perhaps Sense”

On April 9, the engine of the train got detached from its coaches shortly after departing North Lakhimpur Railway Station at 5.00 PM. The #locomotive travelled nearly 4 km leaving the coaches full of passengers near #Silanibari.

The engine was reattached but it got detached 2nd time following departure from #Harmutty station near #Tipling at about 6.00 PM. Due to this there was panic and harrowing experience by the passengers. The train finally started moving again after re-coupling the locomotive to the coaches. It was a sheer luck that there was no loss of life and property.

Detachment of engine from the running express train indicates insensitivity and utter lack of responsibility by the Northeast Frontier Railway (#NFR) towards passenger #safety.

There is inadequacy and training for maintenance of #couplers between the engine and #LHB coaches. Departmental blame game between #PCOM/NFR who operates the couplings, #PCEE/NFR who maintains the engine couplers and #PCME/NFR who maintains the coach couplers, is quite obvious, whereas  there is hardly any concern for #passenger-safety by them.

Photo Caption: The Jana Shatabdi Express locomotive detached twice during its journey from North Lakhimpur to Guwahati, causing panic among passengers.

Purpose of inquiry in Railway Accidents

  1. To establish and determine the cause that led to the accident.
  2. To fix responsibility on individuals whose actions or lapses caused the accident with a view to take punitive actions against them.
  3. To recommend preventive measures so as to avoid similar accidents in future.
  4. To determine other factors that may have caused the accident and to recommend measures against it.
  5. Any other matter that could cause accident and have come into notice during the course of inquiry. Actions also need to be taken to improve safety of trains.