Rajya Rani Express resumes service

Three days after accident in Khagaria district in which 28 pilgrims were crushed to death by Rajya Rani Express, it resumed its service from Thursday.

Patna/Saharsa: Three days after the accident in Khagaria district in which 28 pilgrims were crushed to death by speeding Saharsa-Patna Rajya Rani Express, considered the lifeline of Kosi belt, resumed its service from Thursday.

The 12567 UP Saharsa-Patna Rajya Rani Express left for the state capital at its schedule time 7.00 AM this morning, Chief Public Relation Officer (CPRO) East Central Railway Amitabh Prabhakar said. Spare coaches were arranged for the train from Danapur and other railway divisions to run the train, a vital link between Kosi region with the state capital, the CPRO said. Instead of 19 coaches earlier, the train today had only 15 coaches. Ten coaches and the engine of the Rajya Rani train was burnt by angry protesters after pilgrims who were walking on the track near Dhamara ghat station in Khagaria district on Monday were run down by the Express train. The mob had also torched five coaches and engine of Samastipur-Khagaria passenger train stationed at Dhamara station on August 19. Meanwhile, a report from Saharsa said that resumption of the Rajya Rani Express services was happily welcomed by the residents as this is the vital train linking the Kosi belt with the state capital, covering a distance of over 175 km in nearly four hours. PTI