The incident occurred due to "signal overshooting" as both the trains started moving in the same direction though signal was given for one to depart Jharsuguda Station, about 110 km, from Rourkela, GRP DSP at Jharsuguda, M K Mahato said.
In the wake of the Maoist attack on a Mumbai-bound train in West Midnapore district, the South Eastern Railway cancelled the Howrah-Barbil Janshatabdi Express and Howrah-Jamshedpur Ispat Express on Friday.