Kolkata-Sairang Express derails in Assam: A look at other recent train accidents

The Kolkata-Sairang Express derailed at the Digaru railway station in Assam on November 11, 2026, with several coaches going off track after the loco pilot failed to control the train’s speed while giving precedence to another train. The Northeast Frontier Railway said that all passengers are safe and no injuries have been reported.

The incident has brought renewed attention to rail safety and the safeguards in place to avoid a major mishap. In July 2026, the Ministry of Railways issued a press release in which it detailed that the country had witnessed ‘only two consequential train accidents until that month.’ A consequential train accident refers to an accident which resulted in the loss of human lives/injury or damage to railway property or interruption to rail traffic in excess of laid-down threshold levels.