Nine Coaches of Nilasagar Express Derail, Rail Links Disrupted

Nine coaches of the Nilasagar Express train traveling from Dhaka to Nilphamari have derailed, leaving nearly half a hundred passengers injured, according to reports.

The incident occurred at around 2:30 pm on Wednesday, 18 March, at Tilakpur in Adamdighi upazila of Bogura. Rail communication between Dhaka and northern Bangladesh has since been suspended.

Bogura Railway Station Master Sajedur Rahman Saju said it may take 10 to 12 hours to restore normal train operations.

The derailment has raised concerns over major disruptions to train schedules. However, passengers who purchased tickets in advance for Eid travel will be able to receive refunds if they choose not to travel due to the delays. Railway authorities will refund the ticket fare, subject to certain conditions.

As train tickets are sold online, refunds can be processed from home. Each purchasing account maintains a purchase history, where users can view the number of tickets bought. A new ‘Cancel’ button has been added next to each ticket in the list, said Dhaka Railway Station Manager Md. Sajedul Islam. By clicking the cancel option, passengers can see how much refund they will receive.

However, refunds will not be issued instantly. The amount will be returned through the payment gateway within a maximum of eight working days. If the refund is not received, passengers can submit a complaint via email, to which a response will be provided within seven working days.

According to the ticket refund policy, if tickets are returned 48 hours before the journey, a service charge of Tk 40 for AC class, Tk 30 for first class, and Tk 25 for other classes will be deducted.

If the ticket is returned less than 48 hours but more than 24 hours before departure, 25 percent of the fare will be deducted. For returns made less than 24 hours but more than 12 hours before departure, 50 percent of the fare will be deducted; for less than 12 hours but more than 6 hours, 75 percent will be deducted. No refund will be issued for cancellations made within six hours of departure. In the case of online ticket refunds, the service charge is non-refundable.

DBTech/DHE/MUM/OR