Passengers at Kamalapur Railway Station in the capital suffered much following a disruption to train schedules of both departure and arrival caused by derailment of six coaches of Panchagarh Express on Friday.
However, the rail communications between Dhaka and other parts of the country resumed after the nine-hour suspension of train services.
Six wagons of the train went off the track at the station around 12noon. Later, coaches were put on the track.
The delayed departures and arrival of all trains caused immense sufferings for passengers.
Sonar Bangla Express was actually scheduled to leave the station at 9:35 am but it left after two and half hours later.
Similarly Teesta Express, Egarosindur Express, Parjatak Express, Sonar Bangla Express, Mohanagar Provati Express and Rangpur Express left the station much later than their respective original schedule.
Burimari Express which was scheduled to leave the station at 8:30am did not leave for until afternoon.
Similarly, Jamalpur Express, Kishoreganj Express, Joyantika Express, Jamalpur Commuter, Titas Commuter and Agnibina Express could not leave the station until afternoon.
Passengers, especially women, children and elderly people, were hard hit due to unusual train schedule disruption.
"I've been waiting for several hours for my train. But the train is still not placed on the platform," Md Jakir Hossain, a Rajshahi-bound passenger of Silk City Express, told the FE.
Silk City Express was originally scheduled to depart the station at 2:40pm, but until at 6:30 it did not depart, he added.
Md Abdullah, a passenger of Agnibina Express, told the FE that the train was actually leave the station at 11:30am, but was yet to depart until at 5:30pm.
"It is unbearable. I have been waiting for my train for several hours but could not get any ray of hope of our train," he said.
Md Anwar Hossain, Kamalapur railway stationmaster, told the FE that that the technical problem (derailment of the train coaches) has compelled them to operate train services lately.
He, however, said that train services would return to normal on Saturday (today) as they have repaired railway tracks that were damaged due to the derailment of the coaches.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com