New Delhi (Agency): In the aftermath of the tragic triple train accident in Balasore district, Odisha, the Indian Railways has made significant changes by transferring five top officials of the South Eastern Railway (SER), including key personnel responsible for operations, signalling, and safety. The move comes weeks after the accident, which claimed the lives of over 280 people, making it one of the deadliest train tragedies in the country in nearly three decades.
While the railways labeled these transfers as “routine,” many perceive them as a consequence of the severe incident. In separate orders issued on Thursday, the Railway Board announced the transfers of several officials. Kharagpur Divisional Railway Manager Shujat Hashmi, Principal Chief Signal and Telecommunication Engineer P M Sikdar, Principal Chief Safety Officer Chandan Adhikary, Principal Chief Security Commissioner D B Kasar, and Principal Chief Commercial Manager Md Owais were among those transferred.
This move follows the earlier transfer of Atulya Sinha, the additional general manager of the South Eastern Railway zone, which was seen as the first significant action taken after the train accident. The railways had described Sinha’s transfer as routine, and on Thursday, spokesperson Amitabh Sharma reiterated that all the recent transfers were part of the routine process.
According to the orders issued by the Railway Board, Kharagpur DRM Hashmi has been replaced by K R Chaudhari, the chairman of the Railway Recruitment Board in Ajmer. Sikdar has been transferred to the North Central Railway as an officer on special duty, while Adhikary has been assigned to the Northeast Frontier Railway. D B Kasar, responsible for the security of railway assets and structures, has also been transferred. Md Owais has been posted as Chief Administrative Officer in the Northeast Frontier Railway.
Despite these changes, General Manager Archana Joshi continues in her current position. However, it has been mentioned that Joshi is due to retire soon, according to an official.
The tragic collision involved the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, and a goods train near the Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore. The affected section falls under the Kharagpur division of the South Eastern Railway. The accident resulted in the loss of more than 280 lives, with around 1,000 people sustaining injuries. Investigations have indicated that interference with the interlocking system, an automated signaling system, played a significant role in causing the incident.