Railway Collision Probe Reveals Safety Protocol Lapses
New Delhi: The preliminary investigation into the collision involving the Kanchanjunga Express on June 17 has uncovered significant oversights by the operating department of the New Jalpaiguri Rail Division and the crew of the goods train involved. The incident, which resulted in the loss of 10 lives including the guard of the passenger train and the pilot of the goods train, occurred near Rangapani station in West Bengal's Darjeeling district. At 8:55 am, the goods train collided with the stationary Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express, causing four rear compartments to derail.
According to
Railway Board chairperson Jaya Varma Sinha, preliminary findings suggest that
the collision happened because the goods train ignored the signal. A formal
investigation by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) is now underway to
determine the precise cause.
A team of
six senior railway officials investigating the incident has submitted their
initial findings. Most officials blame the goods train crew—driver, assistant
driver, and guard—for the collision, citing failures like ignoring a danger
signal and disregarding speed limits.
However, the
report includes a dissenting view from the Chief Loco Inspector (CLI) of the
NJP division. The CLI noted that both automatic and semi-automatic signals had
been dysfunctional since 5:50 am on the day of the accident. In such cases, the
CLI argued for converting the route to an Absolute Block System as per safety
regulations.
The
investigation report details events before the collision, stating both trains
had signal passage and speed limit authorization from Ranipatra station.
Investigators found the passenger train stationary due to a faulty signal when
struck by the goods train from behind. This affected five coaches of the
Kanchanjunga Express and eleven wagons of the goods train. Notably, the report
does not specify the goods train's speed at the time, pending further
investigation by the Commissioner of Railway Safety.