Derailment of Cars on the Gudachi-Gonzha Section of the Far Eastern Railways on January 5, 2026

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Derailment of Cars on the Gudachi-Gonzha Section of the Far Eastern Railways on January 5, 2026

On January 5, at 9:01 AM Moscow time, a freight train derailed on the Gudachi-Gonzha section of the Amur Region.

There were no injuries. Rail infrastructure was damaged. There is no environmental threat.

Service on this section is suspended. Passenger train delays are expected.

Three recovery trains have been dispatched to the site.

Russian Railways has established a response team, chaired by First Deputy Chairman of Russian Railways Sergei Kobzev, to address the consequences of the incident.

The cause of the incident is being investigated.


On the evening of January 5, freight cars loaded with coal derailed on a key section of the Trans-Baikal Railway in the Amur Region. The accident resulted in train stoppages and passenger service delays. Extensive repairs will be required to fully address the damage, as nearly a kilometer of track was damaged.

Coal spilled, rails bent. The accident occurred on the evening of January 5 at 4:01 PM local time on the Gudachi-Gonzha section of the Skovorodino-Belogorsk line. More than 30 cars loaded with coal derailed, damaging the track and associated infrastructure.

Despite the scale of the incident, there were no injuries among railway workers or passengers. No environmental hazards were reported, as unlike oil or gasoline, coal does not pose a threat to soil or water bodies. However, the economic consequences were far more significant: train traffic on the section was completely halted in both directions.

Large-scale restoration work has been launched on the Gudachi-Gonzha section. The primary objective in the first stage is to remove the derailed cars from both tracks to ensure access to the damaged sections. At the same time, specialists are preparing to replace the damaged railway infrastructure elements.

According to Russian Railways, approximately 450 meters of track in one direction and approximately 350 meters in the other need to be restored: many cars fell directly onto the tracks, causing deformation, and one was skewed sideways.

"Work is being carried out around the clock. More than 400 railway workers, three restoration trains, four track machine stations, and specialized equipment from other departments are on site," the company noted.

To coordinate the efforts, the company has established an emergency response center, which is monitoring the restoration progress and making decisions in real time.

The derailment directly impacted long-distance passenger train service. According to the Federal Passenger Company, delays range from 2.5 to 7 hours depending on the route. Among the longest routes are trains No. 2 "Moscow - Vladivostok" and No. 9 "Vladivostok - Moscow." Regional trains No. 325 "Belogorsk - Neryungri," No. 82 "Tynda - Blagoveshchensk," No. 317 "Blagoveshchensk - Nizhny Bestyakh," and No. 375 "Blagoveshchensk - Chita" were also delayed.

Train crews are in constant contact with passengers, and they are being provided with the necessary assistance. A comfortable temperature is maintained in the carriages, and passengers on trains delayed for more than four hours are provided with meals.

The railway incident has not gone unnoticed by law enforcement agencies. Investigators from the Eastern Interregional Transport Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia have opened a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 263 of the Russian Criminal Code, "Violation of safety regulations for the movement and operation of rail transport, resulting in major material damage through negligence."
Investigators and forensic experts have traveled directly to the derailment site. According to preliminary estimates, the damage exceeds one million rubles; the eventual amount may be significantly higher.

"As part of the investigation, a range of investigative and procedural actions are being carried out. The causes of the accident are being determined, the technical condition of the rolling stock and track is being analyzed, and the actions of those responsible are being examined," the Eastern Interregional Transport Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia noted.