Odisha Train Tragedy: Railway Board Member Had Warned About "Shortcut Methods Used By Staff" In April

It has come to light that a Railway Board Member, in April, had already pointed out the alarming number of incidents involving unsafe practices related to signaling gears and points at several zones.

The letter, "Unusual occurrences — Adoption of shortcut methods by staff," was written by Railway Board Member for Infrastructure RN Sunkar, to general managers of all zonal railways on 3 April, 2023.

Exactly, two months before Balasore train accident which claimed 288 lives, the Railway Board Member in a letter to all zones had cited five incidents of the current calendar year to highlight the short cut methods adopted by signal and telecommunication department to resolve signal issues which resulted in unsafe train operations.

The letter highlighted the fact such incidents are a matter of serious concern and demanded immediate action.

Citing incidents, the letter specifically mentioned cases in the Mumbai division of Central Railway, as well as Northern Railway, South Western Railway and South Central Railway.

According to the letter, there were five unusual incidents reported in the first three months of this year, including one (local train derailment) in Navi Mumbai, which falls under Mumbai division of Central Railway.

Among these five incidents, two noteworthy incidents took place in the Northern Zone. One each in South West Railway and Western Central Railway. These incidents took place at Lucknow ( Uttar Pradesh) , Hosadurga ( Karnataka) , Ludhiana ( Panjab) Kharkopar ( Navi Mumbai Maharashtra), and Bagratawa station of Madhya Pradesh.

According to the letter, the root cause of these incidents was the adoption of shortcut methods by signaling and telecommunication staff.

The staff was reported to have reconnected signaling gears without proper testing after blocks for switch/turnout replacements, during preparatory works, and while attending signal failures.

These practices were deemed a potential hazard to train operations and were strongly discouraged due to the dilution of safety provisions.

Despite repeated instructions from the Railway Board, the letter expressed concern that the ground situation was not improving. Signaling staff continued to bypass necessary protocols by clearing signals without checking correspondence from the site and without the proper exchange of disconnection/reconnection memos with operating staff.

The letter further highlighted the need for joint works with engineering staff, signal maintenance, and other repair activities to adhere to the provisions outlined in the Indian Railways Signal Engineering Manual (IRSEM).

It stressed the importance of testing signaling gears after completion of engineering works and reconnecting them only after proper verification for the safety certification of the signaling system.

The letter also emphasised the need to sensitise field officers and staff to ensure the integrity of the signaling system.

It recommended a review of these aspects during weekly safety meetings at both divisional and headquarters levels.

Incidents mentioned in the letter:

1. 27 January, 2023

Incident: The Meerut City-Lucknow Junction Rajya Rani Express, upon signaling for reception, entered the washing line area. The incident resulted from multiple cable cuts by a construction excavator during maintenance work.

Unfortunately, the reconnection of cables after rectification was not tested, leading to the acceptance of a home signal without proper verification.

2. At Hosadurga Station, Mysuru division South Western Railway on 8 February, 2023

Incident: The Karnataka Sampark Kranti Express was scheduled to change its route from the common loop line to the Up main line, requiring the reversal of points number 64 and 65. However, the alert driver noticed the situation and safely halted the train.

This incident occurred due to a shortcut taken by a signal maintainer while attending to the failure of Block Proving Axle Counters (BPAC). The BPAC system ensures that a track section is clear before allowing another train to enter.

3. At Ludhiana Station, Firozpur Division of Northern Railway on 18 February, 2023

Incident: The engine of train no. 22480 Sarbat Da Bhala Express derailed on point number 286 in reverse during a signalled movement.

Preliminary information suggests that the point was reconnected without ensuring proper housing in the reverse position after rail renewal work. This oversight resulted in the derailment.

4. At Kharkopar Station, Mumbai Division, Central Railway on 28 February, 2023

Incident: A down Local train, while signalled on the straight route for reception to platform 1 of Kharkopar, derailed while passing over an emergency crossover.

Preliminary information indicates that incorrect wiring was done in the relay room during preparatory work for the commissioning of an auto section. This wiring error contributed to the derailment.

5. At Bagratawa Station, Jabalpur Division, West Central Railway on 22 March, 2023

Incident: A Goods train designated for dispatch from the Up main line traversed to the Down main line through an emergency crossover. The point was reconnected by the Signal and Telecommunication (S&T) staff without proper testing after a traffic block for track maintenance work. This lack of thorough testing resulted in the improper functioning of the point.

The letter, written by Sunkar on 3 April, 2023, raised questions on the inquiry, while the concerned department were already aware of the reasons.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had indicated outside interference when he said that someone had made a change to the point towards the loop line resulting in the accident.