An initial inspection of the railway line between Maloarkhangelsk and Glazunovka revealed multiple explosive devices. One of these devices detonated, causing no harm to passengers but significantly disrupting train services on the route.
Initially, two people were reported killed and one injured in the explosion on the railway tracks in the Oryol region, according to regional governor Andrey Klychkov. The incident, which occurred on Saturday evening, led to delays for several long-distance trains.
Klychkov stated that multiple explosive devices were discovered during a railway inspection on the Maloarkhangelsk-Glazunovka section, with one of them detonating. The governor did not specify the identity of the deceased.
However, Alexander Khinshtein, acting governor of the neighboring Kursk region, later reported that, according to his information, the victims were National Guard officers. He confirmed that no passengers were harmed.
The Maloarkhangelsk-Glazunovka stretch is located near the border of the Oryol and Kursk regions, serving several crucial routes to border areas. Journalist Tatyana Kurbatova from Oryol reported that the incident involved the discovery of explosive devices, with one tragically detonating, causing two deaths and one injury. The precise number of devices found was not disclosed by the governor. According to official information from Russian Railways on Saturday evening, ten trains were delayed. The Glazunovka station, on the Kursk-Oryol line, serves trains heading towards Kursk-Moscow, Belgorod-St. Petersburg, and Moscow-Kislovodsk. Bus services were arranged for passengers needing to reach their destinations.
On Saturday evening, the Moscow Railway announced that operational measures on the section led to delays for 11 trains, including services from Belgorod and Kursk to Moscow, from the capital to Kislovodsk and Belgorod, and several Oryol-Kursk routes. Average delays were estimated at four hours. Long-distance trains were rerouted, and buses were provided for “Lastochka” (swallow) train passengers.
The death toll from the railway explosion in the Oryol region has since risen to three. Two individuals died at the scene, and a third later succumbed to their injuries in the hospital. The blast occurred yesterday when several explosive devices were discovered during a track inspection on the Maloarkhangelsk-Glazunovka section, near the border with the Kursk region.
Authorities have provided limited information. Russian Railways reported delays for 17 long-distance trains. Tatyana Kurbatova, a journalist from Oryol, provided further details, stating that Russian Railways had organized alternative routes for long-distance passenger trains, while suburban “Lastochka” passengers were being transported by buses. She described how, on Saturday evening, buses met “Lastochka” passengers at stations like Glazunovka and Maloarkhangelsk to convey them to their final destinations. She also highlighted the remarkable generosity of local residents who came to the railway stations with food and water to assist stranded travelers. Passengers faced delays of up to 4.5 hours but were provided with meals. Kurbatova regretfully confirmed that the injured individual had passed away, bringing the total number of fatalities from the defused explosive devices, one of which detonated, to three.
Rupert Blackwood 
Clement Ashworth