Initial inquiries indicate that the Coromandel Express train, which was involved in a devastating rail accident in Odisha on Friday, mistakenly entered the loop line and collided with a stationary freight train there instead of taking the main line just beyond the Bahanagar Bazar station, according to a source, news agency PTI reported.
The coaches of the Bangalore-Howrah Superfast Express overturned when they collided with the coaches of the Coromandel Express, which were scattered on the neighboring track.
The Coromandel Express was traveling at 128 kilometers per hour while the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express was moving at a slightly slower pace of 116 kilometers per hour. According to sources, the Railway Board has received the submitted report. More trains were made accessible at Bahanagar Bazar station by the Indian Railways through the establishment of loop lines to enhance their operations. Typically, the loop tracks span a distance of 750 meters in order to fit a goods train of maximum length, which often consists of multiple locomotives.
Approximately 2,000 individuals were being transported via two trains. The accident has resulted in the loss of a minimum of 261 lives and almost 1,000 people have sustained injuries.
According to Anubhav Das, a witness to the incident, officials from both the local authorities and Indian railways had suggested that the Coromandel Express train that he was on collided with the goods train, PTI reported.
However, the railways did not provide official confirmation for any of these accounts.
Despite a comprehensive investigation in progress, none of the officials have yet mentioned the potential for deliberate sabotage.
Officials have announced that an extensive investigation will be conducted into the train accident that occurred in Balasore, Odisha, by the commissioner of railway safety for the South Eastern Circle.
"A M Chowdhary, CRS, SE Circle, will inquire into the accident," a spokesperson of the Indian Railways was quoted by PTI in its report.
The railway company stated that the "Kavach" anti-train collision technology was not in place on the particular route.
A collision occurred between the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, and a freight train.
"The rescue operation has been completed. Now, we are starting the restoration work. Kavach was not available on this route," Indian Railways Spokesperson Amitabh Sharma said.
The installation of "Kavach", a system that prevents train collisions, is currently being carried out by the railways throughout its entire network.
Kavach serves as a warning system that notifies in the event of a locomotive operator disregarding a signal (known as Signal Passed at Danger or SPAD), a primary contributor to train accidents. In case of a train on the same track within an assigned distance, the system has the ability to inform the train conductor, assume control of the brakes, and bring the train to a stop through automation.
Railway officials stated that they are uncertain whether the Coromandel Express collided with the stationary goods train after entering the loop line or if it derailed and then crashed into the parked train. This was contradictory to previous reports which suggested that a signalling failure could have caused the accident.
The initial investigation stated that the up main line signal was given and subsequently removed for train 12841, which then proceeded onto the loop line, collided with a freight train, and ultimately became derailed. PTI possesses a copy of this report. According to the report, two coaches of train 12864 overturned and derailed while passing through the downward main line.
According to Sudhanshu Mani, the ex-general manager of Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, and the leader of the group that created the first Vande Bharat train, the two loco pilots cannot be blamed for the tragic accident. He believes that the main reason for the majority of the casualties was the initial derailment and the unfavorable timing of the second train coming from the opposite direction at a high velocity.
According to Mani, if only the first train had derailed, the LHB coaches would not have overturned and the number of casualties would have been significantly lower.
"Although the reason for the derailment of the first train cannot be a matter of conjecture, as of now, I do not see any evidence of an SPAD case, meaning the driver overriding signals. It was going on the correct path as the data logger shows that the signal was green," Mani was quoted by PTI in its report.
In the wake of a recent collision between two freight trains in Uttar Pradesh, the railway authorities implemented a safety campaign throughout February to deter incidents such as train derailment and improper signaling by train drivers.
Senior executives from the Railway Board, zonal railways, and divisions were directed to conduct visits to an array of locations including crew lounges, maintenance centers, and work sites during the initiative.
Conducting a comprehensive analysis of work procedures is necessary to verify and enforce the use of prescribed safe maintenance and operational practices in order to prevent accidents or unusual occurrences.
Additionally, Sri Prakash, a former member of the Railway Board's Traffic division, explained that the driver of the second train had limited ability to reduce the amount of damage due to the high speed at which they were traveling.
"It basically depends on how much time one has and what speed the train is at for the driver to apply the brakes and stop the train. It is rare for a passenger train to derail while it is most common in case of goods trains. What the investigators find as the cause of the derailment will be key," he said.