Russia: Freight Train Derails After Bridge Collapse, Second Incident in 24 Hours

Kursk – A freight train derailed in Russia’s Kursk region on Sunday after a railway bridge collapsed in the Zheleznogorsk district — marking the second such incident in less than 24 hours.

According to regional acting governor Alexander Khinshtein, the collapse occurred at the 48th kilometre of the Trosna-Kalinovka highway. “During the night, a freight train was crossing a bridge in the Zheleznogorsk District when the structure gave way. A portion of the train, including the locomotive and three empty wagons, fell onto the road beneath,” he posted on Telegram.

The locomotive caught fire, but emergency services from the Ministry of Emergency Situations quickly extinguished the blaze. The remainder of the train remained on the railway tracks. One of the train drivers reportedly sustained a leg injury.

As a safety measure, authorities have halted traffic on the road beneath the collapsed bridge.

This incident follows a similar derailment late Saturday in Russia’s Bryansk region, where a passenger train traveling from Moscow to Klimov derailed after another railway bridge collapsed in the Vygonichsky district.

Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomaz confirmed that at least seven people were killed and 69 injured in the passenger train crash. The train’s driver was among the deceased, according to Russian state media citing medical sources.

Around 180 emergency personnel were dispatched to the Bryansk crash site to assist with rescue efforts and search operations.

Authorities suspect “illegal interference” may have caused the Bryansk derailment. The Baza Telegram channel, which often cites law enforcement sources, reported that early investigations suggest the bridge might have been intentionally destroyed—though no conclusive evidence has been presented.

Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Russia’s border regions of Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod have repeatedly experienced cross-border shelling, drone attacks, and sabotage operations from Ukrainian territory.

With inputs from IANS