New Delhi - In the aftermath of a devastating rail accident near Balasore in Odisha, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has ordered a CBI probe into the matter. This collision involving two passenger trains and a goods train is being regarded as one of the worst rail accidents in recent times, claiming the lives of at least 270 people and leaving several hundred injured.
Preliminary findings from a Railways inquiry suggest a possible failure of the electronic interlocking system as the cause of the accident. The Railway Board has recommended a CBI investigation based on the sequence of events, the unfolding of the matter, and inputs from the district administration. The Commissioner of Railway Safety, South Eastern Railway, is already conducting a separate probe into the incident.
The electronic interlocking system, known as the "interlocking system," is a computer-controlled track management system. It directs trains to vacant tracks at points where two tracks intersect and coordinates and controls signals for oncoming trains, determining whether they should proceed straight or switch to a different track.
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the cause of the accident has been identified, focusing on the issue with the change in electronic interlocking. The exact circumstances and those responsible for the accident will be determined through a thorough investigation.
Efforts are underway to restore normalcy to the route by June 7, with the Up and Down lines already back in operation. Work on the overhead electric lines is currently in progress.
Preliminary indications from Railway Board Members point towards a signaling failure. The investigation will also examine the failure of the track management system and other possible angles. The track management system is designed to be tamper-proof and error-proof, considered a fail-safe system where even if it fails, the signal turns red, and the train comes to a halt. However, there are suspicions of interference with the signaling system, although the exact cause of the suspected failure remains unknown.
When asked if foul play is suspected, Railway Board member Jaya Varma Sinha stated that nothing is being ruled out at this stage.
According to the Indian Railways' released sequence of events, the Coromandel Express, traveling from Kolkata to Chennai, moved out of the main track and entered a loop track – a sidetrack used for train parking – at a speed of 128 kmph. It collided with a parked freight train carrying iron ore on the loop track, causing the engine and the first few coaches of the Coromandel Express to derail, topple, and collide with the last two coaches of the Yeshwantpur-Howrah Superfast train traveling in the opposite direction on the second main track.