Rail fracture snaps communication with Rajshahi for one hour

Rail communication with Rajshahi remained halted for around an hour this morning due to a fracture in the track near Arani Railway Station in Bagha upazila of Rajshahi.

As a result three Rajshahi-bound trains carrying around 2,500 passengers got delayed.

The incident occurred around 11:00am, said Shah Sufi Noor Mohammad, manager of Pakshi Railway Division quoting locals.

"The surface part of the railway line cracked and fell off due to contraction," he said, adding that this type of contraction occurs when the weather condition shifts rapidly between extreme cool and extreme hot.

Meanwhile, the Rajshahi-bound Barendra Express from Chilahati reached near the spot 15 minutes after the incident. Locals managed to halt it by hoisting a red flag.

Rajshahi-bound Dhumketu Express from Dhaka and Kopotaksha Express from Khulna were kept waiting at the Nandangachhi Station.

The three trains were delayed nearly for one hour. Connectivity was resumed around 12:30pm after the track was fixed, said the divisional railway manager.

Most tracks in the West Zone are over 100 years old and these have become vulnerable to contraction during weather changes, he added.