Bilaspur Train Accident: How a Stationary Goods Train Became a Death Trap

At least four persons were killed and many others injured after a passenger train collided with a goods train from behind near Bilaspur station in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, railway officials said.

Image Credit : ANI

A Routine Journey Turns Fatal

A routine evening journey turned tragic on Tuesday when a MEMU (Mainline Electric Multiple Unit) passenger train collided with a stationary goods train near Bilaspur station in Chhattisgarh. The accident, which occurred around 4 pm between the Gatora and Bilaspur railway stations, claimed at least four lives and left several others injured, according to railway officials.

The MEMU train was en route to Bilaspur from Gevra in Korba district when it rammed into the goods train from behind. The force of the collision was such that one of the passenger coaches mounted onto a wagon of the goods train, leaving a trail of mangled metal and chaos on the tracks.

#WATCH | Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh: Four people have lost their lives and others are injured as the coaches of a MEMU train and a goods train collided between Gatora–Bilaspur at about 16:00 hours. 

(Visuals from the spot) pic.twitter.com/qQfjyklX91

— ANI (@ANI) November 4, 2025

Image Credit : ANI

Eyewitness Accounts and Official Statements

Confirming the fatalities, Bilaspur Collector Sanjay Agrawal said, “So far, four deaths in the accident have been confirmed. Two others are still trapped and efforts are on to rescue them.”

Agrawal added that injured passengers have been shifted to Apollo Hospital and Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS) in Bilaspur. While many are being treated for minor injuries, the condition of at least one passenger remains critical.

He later told ANI that the impact occurred when the last bogie of the local train and the first bogie of the goods train collided.

“The last bogie and first bogie of a local train and a goods train collided near Bilaspur. Four people have lost their lives in the accident. Rescue operation is underway,” Agrawal said.

Inspector General (IG) Sanjeev Shukla, who is monitoring the situation on-site, confirmed that rescue teams are working to evacuate trapped passengers.

“A MEMU train and a goods train collided, in which some people have been injured. The rescue operation is underway. We are trying to rescue a person trapped inside,” Shukla said.

Reacting to the accident, Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and said all possible assistance was being provided.

“A very tragic incident has occurred. The goods train was stationary, and a MEMU train collided with it from behind. The engine is in the front coach, and some passengers also sit there. That coach has been damaged. Senior railway officials and state government officers have reached the spot. Relief and rescue operations have begun. The injured are being taken to the hospital,” Sao told reporters in Delhi.

#WATCH | Delhi: On the Bilaspur train accident, Chhattisgarh Deputy CM Arun Sao says, "A very tragic incident has occurred. The goods train was stationary, and a MEMU train collided with it from behind. The engine is in the front coach, and some passengers also sit there. That… pic.twitter.com/RMyQbvKscT

— ANI (@ANI) November 4, 2025

Image Credit : ANI

Relief, Rescue and Compensation

Railway authorities have mobilised all available resources at the accident site. Relief and rescue operations are being carried out on a war footing, with teams working late into the night to free those trapped inside the wreckage.

In an official statement, the Railways announced compensation of:

• ₹10 lakh for the families of the deceased,
• ₹5 lakh for those seriously injured, and
• ₹1 lakh for passengers with minor injuries.

Senior officials from the South East Central Railway (SECR) zone have reached the site to oversee operations and coordinate with local authorities.

#WATCH | Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh: Sanjay Agrawal, DC, Bilaspur says, "The last bogie and first bogie of a local train and a goods train collided near Bilaspur. Four people have lost their lives in the accident. Rescue operation is underway..." https://t.co/enkpNHyiWhpic.twitter.com/5xobXb3DJD

— ANI (@ANI) November 4, 2025

Image Credit : ANI

Inquiry Ordered to Ascertain Cause

A detailed inquiry into the cause of the collision will be conducted by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) to determine what led to the fatal crash and recommend corrective measures.

Preliminary reports suggest that the goods train was stationary at the time of impact, but it remains unclear why the MEMU passenger train failed to stop in time.

Railway authorities have issued helpline numbers to assist passengers and their families seeking information about their loved ones.

• Bilaspur – 7777857335, 7869953330
• Champa – 8085956528
• Raigarh – 9752485600
• Pendra Road – 8294730162
• Korba – 7869953330
• Uslapur–7777857338

Officials said all possible arrangements have been made for the treatment of the injured, with ambulances, medical teams, and cranes deployed at the site.

#WATCH | Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh: IG Sanjeev Shukla says, "MEMU train and a goods train collided, in which some people have been injured. The rescue operation is underway. We are trying to rescue a person trapped inside..." https://t.co/enkpNHyiWhpic.twitter.com/cOgdk5ZNAj

— ANI (@ANI) November 4, 2025

Image Credit : ANI

India’s Worst Train Accidents in the Last Decade

India, home to one of the world’s largest rail networks, has witnessed several devastating train tragedies in the last decade. Among the most catastrophic was the Balasore train disaster in Odisha in June 2023, when a collision involving two passenger trains and a goods train killed around 295 people and injured over 1,000, marking one of the deadliest rail accidents in the country’s history.

In 2016, the Indore–Patna Express derailment near Kanpur claimed 150 lives, while the Kuneru derailment in Andhra Pradesh the following year killed more than 40 passengers. The Amritsar train tragedy of 2018, where a speeding train mowed down Dussehra revellers standing on the tracks, left over 60 people dead.

More recently, in October 2023, a goods train collision in Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh, killed 13 people and injured dozens, once again highlighting the persistent challenges of signalling and human error in India’s vast railway network.