New Delhi, June 4 (Reuters) – On Sunday, railway officials announced that investigators are looking into a malfunctioning electronic track management system as the potential cause of India’s deadliest train crash in over two decades. The tragic incident occurred in the eastern state of Odisha, where a passenger train collided with a stationary freight train, derailed, and then struck another passenger train traveling in the opposite direction. The devastating crash resulted in the loss of at least 275 lives.
The Preliminary Comprehensive Report
In their first comprehensive briefing on the accident, Indian Railways officials identified the track management system failure as the primary focus of the ongoing investigations. The system in question, known as the “interlocking system,” is responsible for directing trains to vacant tracks at the junction of two tracks. Sandeep Mathur, the principal executive director for signaling, explained that the system also controls and coordinates signals for oncoming trains, guiding them to either continue straight or switch to a different track.
According to Jaya Varma Sinha, a member of the Railway Board, the interlocking system is designed to be tamper-proof and error-proof. Even in the event of a failure, the signal is supposed to turn red, bringing the train to a halt. However, suspicions have arisen that there may have been a problem with the system.
Sinha elaborated on the sequence of events leading up to the crash at Bahanaga station in the Balasore district. The Coromandel Express, traveling from Kolkata to Chennai, veered off the main track and entered a loop track, which is typically used for train parking. The train was moving at a speed of 128 kph (80 mph) when it collided with a parked freight train carrying iron ore. The impact caused the engine and the first few coaches of the Coromandel Express to derail and collide with the last two coaches of the Yeshwantpur-Howrah train traveling in the opposite direction on the second main track.
According to Sinha, the interlocking system should not have allowed the Coromandel Express to access the loop track. She spoke with the injured driver of the train, who claimed to have been within the speed limit and had not violated any signals. The details provided by the track and train recording systems will verify these statements.
The Root Cause behind the tragic accident
Sinha acknowledged that various factors could have contributed to the system failure, including cable damage caused by unauthorized digging in the area, a short circuit, or a mechanical malfunction. While the failure rate of the system is typically very low, there is always a slight possibility of malfunction. No specific details were provided regarding the supplier, manufacturer, or age of the system. However, it is widely utilized across the vast Indian railway network. Investigations will continue to uncover the exact cause of the malfunction and bring clarity to this devastating train crash.
Wrapping up
In conclusion, the investigation into India’s deadliest train crash in over two decades is primarily focused on the track management system. The failure of the electronic interlocking system, which directs trains to empty tracks and controls signals, is being closely examined. Indian Railways officials have shed light on the functioning of the system and emphasized its fail-safe nature. However, the crash at Bahanaga station in the Balasore district exposed a potential flaw in the system.
