CHENNAI: After a near-miss incident in which a collision between two express trains was averted at the last minute between Kovilpatti and Kadambur stations on June 24, Southern Railway has decided to relieve station masters from non-core duties such as ticket issuance, public announcement system maintenance, and other unrelated tasks, to improve operational safety. According to sources, the incident was allegedly caused due to lack of communication between a loco pilot and a station master.
While an alert railway official had managed to avert the collision by cutting the power supply to one of the trains, three railway officials, including Senior Divisional Operations Manager of the Madurai railway division, were suspended last month based on the findings of a safety audit report, official sources said.
As per an order issued by General Manager R N Singh dated July 4, all station masters of railway stations handling more than 24 trains per day must be relieved of their non-core duties before September 1. Though the order did not have any reference to the incident, it was allegedly issued based on recommendations from the high-level safety committee that investigated the safety lapse linked to the near-miss incident on the Kovilpatti-Kadambur section of Thoothukudi district.
In the directive, Singh noted that station masters are currently tasked with duties, including ticket sales, public announcements, passenger inquiries, updating coach indication systems, and dealing with the Crew Management System Kiosk.
These responsibilities, he said, diverted their attention from their primary role of ensuring smooth train operation and safety. To allow station masters to focus solely on core operational duties, he ordered that they be relieved of all non-operational tasks by September 1.
The June 24 incident unfolded around 6.45 pm when the loco pilot of the Dindigul-Nagercoil special train encountered a signal failure at Kumarapuram, between Kovilpatti and Kadambur stations. He attempted to contact the Kovilpatti station master by phone but it was unsuccessful. As a precaution, he proceeded at 8 kmph. Meanwhile, the Varanasi-Kanniyakumari Express, which arrived at Kovilpatti at 7 pm, was cleared to proceed towards Kadambur at its regular speed of 110 kmph. Both station masters believed the trains were operating at standard speeds.
A section controller at the Madurai divisional office, who noticed both trains moving in the same direction just 5 km apart, immediately instructed the electrical unit to cut power to the overhead line, halting the Kanniyakumari-bound express to avert the disaster. Following this, the Railway Board’s high-level safety panel recommended disciplinary action against the officials involved.
Varanasi–kumari Express running at 110 kmph almost collided with slow-moving Nagercoil spl on june 24
1 6.45 pm: Train No. 06322 (Dindigul–Nagercoil Special) halts at Kumarapuram station (10 km from Kovilpatti) as green signal was not displayed. Loco pilot calls Kovilpatti station master. Since there was no response, he proceeds to Kadambur at 8 kmph as per SOP
2 7.06 pm: Train No. 16368 (Varanasi–Kanniyakumari Express) arrives at Kovilpatti, where station master, due to signal issues, gives manual clearance to proceed at 110 kmph towards Kadambur
3Between 7.15 and 7.20 pm: Section controller at the Madurai divisional office notes both trains were travelling in the same direction on the same track and immediately instructs the electrical distribution officer to cut power to the overhead line. Varanasi–Kanniyakumari Express comes to a halt just 5 km behind the special train
Conclusion: If the high-speed train had rammed into the slow-moving train, it could have led to a derailment, potentially leading to a major accident involving a third train in the opposite direction
(Both station masters mistakenly assumed that the two trains were running at 110 kmph)