Kolkata-Sairang Express Derails Near Guwahati After Brake Failure Leaves Several Passengers Critically Injured

The brakes seized at full throttle. At 6:54 am on Wednesday, November 11, the Kolkata-Sairang Express jumped the rails near Digaru railway station on the rural fringe of Guwahati, pitching the engine and up to seven passenger coaches into the ballast. Emergency responders pulled dozens of bloodied passengers from the mangled compartments, transferring several critically injured travellers to regional trauma facilities across Assam's Kamrup Metropolitan district.

Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) teams launched an emergency mobilization across the corridor. The train, which provides a lifeline passenger link connecting Sairang in Mizoram directly to Kolkata, lost control during a planned track reception sequence outside Digaru.

Cockpit Video Captures Jammed Brakes

Cockpit footage recorded moments before the crash revealed the driver fighting frantically against dead hydraulic controls. The pilot wrenched repeatedly at the brake levers—only for the iron mechanisms to lock tight beneath his grip.

"Kuch nahi kaam kar raha," the driver shouted inside the cab, his voice rising in panic as the heavy rake surged forward unchecked. Minutes later, the locomotive pulverized trackside barriers and ploughed violently into the embankment.

Northeast Frontier Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Kapinjal Kishore Sharma confirmed the derailment and stated that senior technical teams had mobilized to take command of the crash site.

Track Change At Digaru Station

Preliminary operational reports established that the express was negotiating a track change to enter Digaru station when the mechanical failure struck. While NFR dispatch logs initially registered six derailed coaches, subsequent assessments from the field updated the count to seven passenger bogeys off the iron.

Yet investigators have not officially determined the mechanical sequence that triggered the brake lockup. Technical teams are inspecting the locomotive's wreckage, data logs, and switch points to establish whether hydraulic contamination, electrical shorting, or mechanical linkage severance caused the runaway.

Rescue teams continue clearing heavy debris from the primary line, while railway safety commissioners prepare an inquiry to inspect the locomotive's electronic event recorder.