BALASORE TRAIN MISHAP OCCURRED DUE TO LAPSES IN SIGNALLING-CIRCUIT ALTERATION, REVEALS INQUIRY REPORT
Bhubaneswar(04/07/2023): The report of inquiry of the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), South Eastern Circle revealed that the major train mishap at Bahanaga station in Balasore district had occurred due to lapses in the signalling-circuit alteration carried out at the North Signal Goomty (of the station) in the past. According to the CRS, the accident of train number 12841 (Shalimar-Chennai-Coromandel Express), Goods train number N/DDIP and train number 12864 (SMVT-Bengaluru-Howrah Express) at Bahanaga Bazaar station on June 2, 2023 at about 18:56 hours in Kharagpur-Ranital section of Kharagpur division in South Eastern Railway, was a case of the rear-collision of train number 12841 with goods train (N/DDIP) standing on the Up loop line (common loop) of the station. The last two coaches of train number 12864, which was passing on the Down Main line of the station at the same time, were hit by the derailed coaches of train number 12841,and capsized.
The rear-collision was due to lapses in signalling-circuit alteration carried out at the North Signal Goomty (of the station) in the past, and during the execution of the signalling work related to replacement of Electric Lifting Barrier of level crossing gate number 94 at the station.
The lapses resulted in wrong signalling to train number 12841 wherein the Up Home Signal indicated Green aspect for run-through movement on the Up main line of the station, but the crossover connecting to the Up line to Up loop line (crossover 17/B) was set to the Up loop line; the wrong signalling resulted in the train number 12841 traversing on Up loop line, and eventual rear-collision with the goods train (N/DDIP) standing there, the report stated. The probe report also highlighted that lapses in multiple levels in the Signal and Telecom department were responsible for the accident.
