Kolkata: Two young women died after being hit by an express train while crossing the railway tracks at Sodepur station on Wednesday night.
The incident occurred at approximately 9:40 pm when the Hate Bazare Express, which had departed from Sealdah at 9:15 pm for Katihar, was passing through the Sodepur station at high speed. One of the victims was found near the tracks at the station, while the other was discovered trapped in the cowcatcher of the train’s engine at Naihati station.
According to eyewitnesses, the station was crowded due to Maha Shivaratri celebrations. Some passengers disembarked from a local train and crossed the tracks instead of using the footbridge. The two women attempted to move from platform three to platform four when they were struck by the express train. One body was recovered near platform four, while the other remained lodged in the cow-catcher at the front of the train’s engine. The Hate Bazare Express’s next scheduled stop after departing from Sealdah was Naihati Junction. The second victim’s body was noticed only when the train reached Kakinada, after which the driver was alerted. The train was then stopped at Naihati, where the body was recovered. Following the recovery at around 10:22 pm, the train continued its journey.
Diptimoy Dutta, public relations officer (PRO) in-charge of the Eastern Railway (ER), stated that the body was not visible to the driver as it was trapped beneath the eye level in the cow-catcher in the dark. “With automated railway systems, there are no signal cabins from which such incidents can be observed. The through train continued moving as it was receiving green signals,” he explained.
Sources indicated that express trains in this section typically travel at speeds of 70-80 kmph, making it difficult for drivers to detect impacts. Even if drivers notice an obstruction on the tracks, bringing the train to a sudden halt could lead to a more serious incident.
Additionally, railway police reported that one of the victims was wearing headphones, which may have contributed to the accident.