In a tragic incident that claimed the lives of at least 288 people and left over 1,000 injured, the Railway Board has provided details on the catastrophic triple train accident in Odisha’s Balasore. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has attributed the accident to an issue with the “electronic interlocking system.” Additionally, the railway officials emphasized that only one train, the Coromandel Express, and not three, as speculated earlier, was involved in the accident.
The accident occurred at Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore, which is equipped with four railway lines. The station consists of two main lines in the middle and two loop lines on either side. At the time of the crash, there were goods trains loaded with iron ore stationed on both loop lines. The Coromandel Express, travelling from Chennai to Howrah, and the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, coming from Howrah, were running on the main lines. Both trains were within the permissible speed limit, with the Coromandel Express travelling at 128 kmph and the other passenger train at 126 kmph, below the limit of 130 kmph.
According to Jaya Verma Sinha, Member, Operations & BD, Railway Board, a signalling problem was detected, but further investigation is required to determine the exact cause. She mentioned that the reaction time was minimal due to the high speed at which the trains were travelling. Although she acknowledged a “signalling interference,” she refrained from categorizing it as a failure. The Railway Board emphasized that these are preliminary findings, and concrete conclusions can only be drawn after a formal inquiry.
Contrary to initial speculation, the Railway Board clarified that only the Coromandel Express met with an accident. It collided with a stationary goods train carrying iron ore on one of the loop lines, causing the engine and coach of the Coromandel Express to overturn. Subsequently, the derailed coaches collided with a couple of coaches from the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, which was approaching at high speed from Howrah. Sinha attributed the relatively lesser impact of the crash to the heavy nature of the goods train, which absorbed much of the shock.
Regarding the absence of the indigenously developed automatic train protection system called “Kavach” on the accident route, the Railway Board clarified that Kavach would not have prevented the crash. Ms Sinha dismissed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s inquiry about the system, reiterating the Railways Minister’s statement. She argued that no technology in the world can avert certain accidents, using the example of boulders suddenly appearing in front of vehicles. Kavach is designed to alert the train operator if they pass a signal of danger and can take control of the brakes to bring the train to a halt if it detects another train on the same track within a prescribed distance.
The Railways’ initial investigation has shed some light on the tragic train crash, but a comprehensive inquiry is still underway to determine the exact cause. As the nation mourns the loss of lives and extends support to the injured, it remains crucial for authorities to identify any lapses in safety measures and take necessary steps to prevent similar accidents in the future.
