Rail communications between Dhaka and five northern districts resumed after about 21 hours after nine coaches of the Nilsagar Express derailed at Bagmari under Adamdighi upazila in Bogura on Wednesday afternoon.

Bangladesh Railway’s director general Afzal Hossain told New Age that trains on these routes started running from about 10:30am on Thursday.

Passengers travelling from Dhaka to Nilphamari, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh and Jaipurhat districts suffered immensely as train services on these routes remained halted at various points following the derailment at about 2:00pm on Wednesday.

According to railway officials, two relief trains removed the derailed coaches from the track at about 9:00am on Thursday.

After that, the track was repaired and train services resumed.

The director general expressed hope that train schedules on these routes would return to normal by Friday.

‘Four trains are now running behind their schedules, including Ekota Express and Nilsagar Express,’ he said.

About the injured passengers, Afzal said that some were undergoing treatment at hospitals, but none was critically injured.

He added that both the Santahar rail station assistant master and the train locomaster had been suspended.

Before the accident, work was ongoing on the track and a caution signal had been given, but the locomaster did not notice it, which caused the derailment, according to the primary probe, he added.

As per a railways ministry press release issued on Wednesday night, 66 people were injured in the accident.

‘Of them, 20 are now undergoing treatment at Naogaon Sadar Hospital, 40 have been discharged after receiving primary treatment and six have been discharged from Bogura Adamdighi Upazila Health Complex after receiving primary treatment,’ it added.

Two probe committees were formed by the railway authorities to investigate the incident.

The derailment took place while thousands of people were leaving Dhaka for their ancestral homes in different districts to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, expected to be observed on Friday or Saturday.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on the day directed the local administration to take necessary measures to minimise damage and reduce the suffering of passengers following the accident.

The derailment also damaged about 200 metres of rail track and sleepers, according to railway officials.