Team News Riveting
New Delhi, July 4
The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) has spotted serious lapses at various levels in the signal and telecommunication department that led to the triple train accident at Balasore in Odisha on June 2 claiming 290 lives.
The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) of South Eastern Circle (SEC), which probed the accident, reportedly found that the collision was due to lapses in the signalling-circuit-alteration carried out at the North Signal Goomty of the Bahanga Bazar station for work related to replacement of Electric Lifting Barrier for level crossing at Gate 94 at the station, sources said.
The circuit shifting work that was done on account of cable fault was carried out without following the standard practice. The circuit for Electric Lifting Barrier (ELB) of level crossing (LC) 79 of Balasore station, used for the modification of ELB circuit of LC-94 at Bahanaga Bazar railway station, was found “unsuitable”.
These lapses resulted in wrong signalling for the passenger train Coromandel Express (Kolkata-Chennai). While the signal indicated green giving the go-ahead for the movement of the train through the main line of the station, the crossover (point) connecting the main line to the loop line (crossover 17A/B) was set to the loop line, sources said quoting the report.
The mismatch resulted in the Coromandel Express traversing on the loop line at a speed of 128 km per hour and colliding with the rear portion of a goods train standing on the loop line. It coaches shattered following the impact and dashed with the Bangalore-Howrah express chugging on another line.
Railway Board member Jaya Verma Sinha had also earlier indicated that the accident had resulted because of the signal trouble.
The Railways have already transferred a number of officials, including the general manager of South Eastern Railway, following the accident. More officials are likely to face the axe.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBO) is also probing the incident.
