Red flags ignored? ‘Serious flaws’ in railway signal system raised 3 months prior to Odisha train accident
2 min read 04 Jun 2023, 02:40 PM ISTAs Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw listed the root cause of the three-train collision in Odisha, a report mentions how some ‘serious flaws’ in signalling system were red-flagged three months ago
PremiumOdisha train accident: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Sunday that the root cause of the three-train crash – which claimed the lives of 275 people and injured over 1,000 others – in Odisha's Balasore district has been identified. Ashwini Vaishnaw said the issue was with the electric point machine which is vital in the railway signalling system – the “serious flaws" in which were raised by the South Western Railway Zone chief operating manager.
According to a report by India Today, the South Western Railway Zone official had written a letter highlighting the “serious flaws in the system" while referring to a signal failure of an express train, three months ago. He highlighted “serious flaws in the system where the route of dispatch gets altered."
In its letter, the South Western Railway Zone official wrote: “A very serious unusual incident occurred on 08.02.2023 at around 17.45 hrs, where in, Up Train No: 12649 Sampark Kranti Express, while starting from Road1, with Paper line clear ticket (PLCT) for advance starter as same was failed due to BPAC (block proving axle counter) failure, starter was working alright, thus, taken off at 17.45 Hrs. The loco-pilot of train no: 12649 Sampark Kranti Express had stopped the train before Point No: 65 A, while observing that the point was set to down main line (Wrong line), while as per PLCT, the train was supposed to pass through up main line."
An audit report of the last year which was tabled in Parliament also flagged serious lapses in rail safety. In a 2022 report focusing on derailments within Indian Railways, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, India's auditing body, aimed to investigate how preventive measures were implemented by the railway ministry against derailments and collisions, according to an NDTV report.
“There were shortfalls ranging from 30-100 per cent in inspections by Track Recording Cars required to assess geometrical and structural conditions of railway tracks," it said.
Nearly two days after the Odisha train accident where two passenger trains -- Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express and Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express – and a goods train collided with one another in Odisha Balasore, killing at least 275 and injuring as many as 1,175, the Union railway minister has cited problems with railway signalling which led to the Odisha train tragedy.
In a statement, Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “The root cause of the horrifying incident has been identified... I do not want to go into details….The setting of the point machine was changed. How and why it was done will be revealed in the probe report. This accident occurred due to changes to the electronic interlocking system."
Ashwini Vaishnaw also clarified that the Odisha train accident has nothing to do with the Kavach protection system.
The electric point machine holds great significance in railway signaling as it enables swift operation and secure locking of point switches. It plays a crucial role in ensuring the safe movement of trains.
