New Delhi (Agency): The tragic train accident that occurred in Balasore on June 2, resulting in the deaths of 293 people and leaving over a thousand injured, has shed light on the alarming vulnerabilities in the Indian Railway’s safety protocols. The Commissioner of Rail Safety (CRS), an entity under the Ministry of Railways, which is charged with ensuring railway safety and investigating railway incidents, pointed out in its report that there were severe lapses at multiple levels in the Signalling and Telecom (S&T) department of the Indian Railways.
The report provided an in-depth account of the erroneous signalling-circuit-alteration carried out at the north signal goomty, both in the past and during the process of replacing the electric lifting barrier for level crossing gate 94 at the station. These lapses in signalling led to wrong directions being conveyed to the Coromandel Express, resulting in the collision and derailment of coaches.
In addition to the CRS, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is also scrutinizing the details of the Odisha train accident. The meticulous investigation by the CRS, headed by AM Chowdhary of the South Eastern Circle, revealed that the root cause of the disaster was the multitude of lapses in the S&T Department.
The CRS South Eastern Circle, led by AM Chowdhary, identified several levels of negligence within the S&T department. As highlighted in the report, the maintenance work conducted on LC94 on June 2 led to a disconnection issued at 4.20 p.m. and a reconnection at 4.50 p.m., during which S&T personnel continued working on the signal circuit without any modification.
One source revealed an unsettling detail regarding the Coromandel Express’ ill-fated journey, which began on an Up loop line due to the faulty signals, ending in a disastrous collision with a stationary goods train. These train movement discrepancies resulted directly from the signalling-circuit-alteration lapses at the North Signal Goomty.
The report also drew attention to a similar instance of route mismatch due to incorrect wiring that occurred on May 16 at the Bahanaga Bazar railway station. It remarked that had proper corrective measures been implemented after this incident, the Balasore accident might have been avoided. This stark observation underlines the profound cost of negligence and the desperate need for preventative measures.
A detailed conclusion by the CRS underlined the importance of updating signalling wiring diagrams and other documentation. It also emphasized the need for adhering to standard practices while carrying out signalling-modification work. Any modification in signalling circuits should involve an approved circuit diagram and should be supervised by an officer, the report added. Furthermore, a separate team should be assigned for the checking and testing of modified signalling circuits and functions before their restoration or reconnection.
The report also advocated for a robust training program leading to the issuance of competency certificates for staff executing and checking signaling-modification work. It called for an automatic system shutdown when both Normal and Reverse indication relays for a point are detected, and proposed carrying detection circuits in a separate cable for each point or crossover.
The CRS also made recommendations regarding fault-detection mechanisms and station masters’ training, including incorporating potential fault conditions in the Station Work Rules Document (SWRD). The report further proposed provisions for logging physical relays in the station data logger and suggested end-to-end status matching of gears for ensuring accuracy.
The Balasore tragedy unveils the stark reality of India’s railway system, where technical lapses and miscommunication can culminate in catastrophic incidents. It’s a wake-up call for the Indian Railways, pushing it to confront the vital issue of safety protocols head-on, learning from past mistakes and implementing rigorous safety standards.