Railway log operator diverts New Delhi bound passenger train to Old Delhi by mistake
NEW DELHI: In a security lapse, a local train in Delhi was given wrong route and signal and instead of going to New Delhi Railway station, reached Old Delhi station. Indian Railways has set up an inquiry and suspended a staff.
According to railways, an electric multiple unit (EMU) from Panipat to New Delhi, was sent to Old Delhi as wrong route and signal was set up by panel operator.
“The train with passengers was later brought to its scheduled destination at New Delhi. The concerned staff has been suspended for this lapse,” said a railway officer. The railways denied any lapse of the safety of train operation.
It further said that the goof-up happened due to similarities between the actual arrival time of two trains and miscommunication by log operators.
“Log Operator Aslam has been suspended and further inquiry is initiated to find and fix responsibility of other erring staff,” the official added.
In November 2017, about 1500 farmers travelling in a special train from Delhi to Maharashtra were stuck at Madhya Pradesh after the train travelled 160 kilometres in the wrong direction.
The train was said to be given the wrong signal and it continued travelling in the wrong direction for 160 km but railways said that the train was on correct route.