Digaru is a small railway station on the outskirts of Guwahati and is normally a station where trains stop briefly. On Wednesday, November 11, one train stopped at a place where it was not supposed to.
The six coaches along with the engine of the Sairang-Kolkata Express have derailed at Digaru in the vicinity of Guwahati on Wednesday morning, sources said. The incident took place near Digaru railway station in the Kamrup (Metropolitan) district at 6.54 am.
Speed is indicated in the initial report by the railway. The Railways claimed that the train was arriving at Digaru Station to allow another train priority since the loco pilot failed to control its speed, leading to the derailment.
The Chief Public Relations Officer of Northeast Frontier Railway, Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, said there were no casualties reported yet. This is a report from the railways, and the independent inquiry did not feature in the reports analyzed.
Reports are also different from the beginning. While one report indicated that five coaches and the train derailed, CPRO reported that six coaches derailed. It is probable that the error will result from the fact that the locomotive was included and early reports were used.
This is also ambiguous. According to the first report by PTI, no deaths were reported though some passengers were reportedly injured and the number and cause were unknown at that time.
However, the situation seems to be more promising according to the railway authorities. All the passengers have been safely reported while some got minor injuries. Another report also stated that all passengers were safe with no injuries.
In none of the reports available, was the number of the injured mentioned. For the information seekers among passengers and families, it is advisable to get the help line numbers of Northeast Frontier Railway.
A fast reaction followed. A train for the purpose of rescue operations was immediately dispatched to the site. Higher authorities visited the place, and the passengers were evacuated from the train to the destinations by another train.
The information gathered through the reports studied did not mention the time of disruption to the service in the route.
The identity of the train has also been given through various descriptions. In the statement issued by the railway authority, it has been referred to as Train No. 13125 – Kolkata-Sairang Express. According to PTI, it is the Sairang-Kolkata Express moving towards Kolkata from Mizoram.
Both these names are used in the initial reports. The one thing common between the two descriptions is that the train was moving on the Kolkata-Sairang route connecting Kolkata to Sairang in Mizoram.
There have been other derailments in the last two years in the Northeast. In October 2024, at least eight coaches of the Agartala-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express derailed in a spot near Dibalong railway station in Assam, and there were no casualties among passengers.
The Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express derailed in a spot near Kampur in Assam in December 2025 after an elephant collision. Seven elephants were killed but there were no casualties among passengers.
Both derailments were caused by different factors. This demonstrates that running trains over such a difficult terrain in Assam is tough work.
Questions arise. Was the speed of the train acceptable while coming into the station? How efficient were the signals and brakes? What should have been the sequence followed by the loco pilot and his rest schedule?
There is enough hint in the statement of the rail company that the issue of speed needs to be examined, but an investigation would normally include the track, the loco, and the signalling too. There is no mention in the statements read that an inquiry has been ordered.
