CHITRADURGA: An alert loco pilot of Sampark Kranti Express averted a Balasore-like train tragedy on February 8 between the Birur and Chikjajur section of the Mysuru Division of South Western Railway.
The pilot brought this matter to the notice of the Principal Chief Operations Manager (PCOM) of SWR Hari Shankar Verma, who wrote to the General Manager of SWR on February 9, highlighting the grave flaw in the railway safety system.
The letter stated that Sampark Kranti Express was signalled to proceed, but the point was wrongly set towards the Down Line on which a goods train was approaching.
The loco pilot of Sampark Kranti Express, who knew that he had been given the wrong signal, stopped the train immediately near Hosadurga. This action helped in averting a major tragedy.
While observing that the point was set to the Down Main Line (wrong line), Verma stated that the train was supposed to pass through the Up Main Line as per PLCT.
The direction shown was wrong and the alert loco pilot stopped his train before entering the wrong line (Down Line). Had the train proceeded, there would have been a head-on collision with the goods train approaching Hosadurga Road Station in the down direction. If serious attention was given to this note, the train accident at Balasore could have been averted and hundreds of lives could have been saved.
Signalling system at Hosadurga similar to Bahanaga Bazar station
The Bahanaga Bazar station, where the tragedy occurred, has a layout similar to that of Hosadurga Road Station. The signalling system is almost the same. The letter raised questions about how the electronics signal maintainer could have altered the interlocking without opening the relay room in violation of the Railway Board’s guidelines.
It also referred to signalling cables, which are often brought to the junction box at the yard, before being routed to the relay room as a temporary set-up and suggested that once the relay room is ready, the signalling cables should be dismantled and the cables sent back to the relay room immediately. However, it was not done at Hosadurga Road Station.
“This setup makes it susceptible to meddling and interference with the interlocking system. The Operations Department had stressed the need for correcting the system immediately, including sensitising the staffers to avoid shortcuts that could lead to major accidents,” the letter stated. A senior railway official said the safety protocol should be given priority henceforth.
With the letter going viral, railway commuters have started demanding a thorough investigation into the incident, he added.