Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Initial probe faults Rayagada passenger train crew for Andhra accident

October 30, 2023 19:30 IST

A preliminary railway probe into the Sunday night accident in Andhra Pradesh has held the driver and the assistant driver of Rayagada Passenger train responsible for the collision as it passed two defective auto signals violating norms. Both crew members were killed in the accident.

IMAGE: A search and rescue operation is underway after a passenger train going to Rayagada from Visakhapatnam got derailed yesterday, in Vizianagaram, October 30, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

Signed by seven experts, the preliminary report said they carefully examined the accident site, available evidence, statements of officials concerned, data logger report and the speedometer chart.

 

It concluded that the Rayagada passenger train (08504) hit the Visakhapatnam Palasa passenger train (08532) from the rear due to the crew of the former passing two defective auto signals.

"Hence, LP (loco pilot), S M S Rao, ALP (Assistant Loco Pilot) of Train no 08504 (Rayagada Passenger train) held responsible," the report, accessed by PTI, said.

According to the railway norm, the train should have stopped for two minutes at the defective auto signals and then started at 10 kmph which it didn't do, leading to the collision, the report said.

The Rayagada Passenger train hit the Visakhapatnam Palasa Ttrain from behind at 7 pm on October 29 on the Howrah-Chennai line in Kantakapalli in Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh, killing 14 and injuring over 50 train passengers.

Jeevan Prakash Sharma in New Delhi
© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.