The Guwahati-New Haflong section, where the Kolkata-Sairang Express derailed on Wednesday morning at Digaru Railway Station, falls on the route inspected a day earlier by the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) general manager.
Safety experts have raised questions over the quality of the inspection and operational alertness, saying that such exercises should not be conducted merely as routine formalities.
"Vivek Khare, General Manager of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), inspected Guwahati Railway Station and conducted a window-trailing inspection from Guwahati to New Haflong on 10th November 2026," the NFR zone said in a press statement on Tuesday.
"The visit marked the first day of a two-day programme to review safety and train operations on the Lumding-Badarpur hill section. The Divisional Railway Manager, Lumding, and senior officials from NFR Headquarters and Lumding Division accompanied Shri Khare throughout the inspection," it added.
Following the derailment, Khare cancelled the remaining inspection to oversee relief and restoration measures.
According to the NFR, Khare assessed the condition of tracks, bridges and tunnels, with particular attention to the hill section. Officials said he also examined a track inspection trolley and observed it by railway workers.
"He also reviewed ongoing safety works and maintenance arrangements to support safe and reliable passenger and freight services," the NFR said.
"Less than 12 hours after the inspection, six coaches and the engine of the Kolkata-Sairang Express derailed at around 6.54 am on November 11 at Digaru station, which lies on the Guwahati-New Haflong section," a railway safety expert said.
"The incident raises several questions, prominent among them is whether inspections are translating into real improvements in railway safety or remaining largely procedural exercises," the person said.
NFR, in a statement issued shortly after the derailment, said that the loco pilot of the Kolkata-Sairang Express was unable to control the train's speed, resulting in the derailment.
(With inputs from PTI)