Engine-less Ahmedabad-Puri Express: Heads of eight railway staff roll

BHUBANESWAR/SAMBALPUR: A day after coaches of Ahmedabad-Puri Express rolled down without engine in Western Odisha, Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani on Sunday ordered a joint safety drive by Operating, Electrical and Carriage and Wagon departments on all tracks across the country.

Lohani directed to take proper care of training of shunting staff and launch a month long drive on shunting at stations during which loco pilots and shunters can be intensively monitored and counselled. While the Chief Safety Officers have been asked to oversee the drive, General Managers would submit reports about their observations, actions taken and suggestions for improvement.  

On Saturday night, 22 coaches of Ahmedabad-Puri Express rolled down from Titlagarh in Balangir district to Kesinga in Kalahandi district covering a distance of about 13 km without engine.The incident occurred as skid brakes were not applied at Titlagarh railway station where the engine is detached and a new diesel engine attached for reversal. The coaches continued to move as the gradient towards Kesigna section from Titlagarh is down.

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After the speed of coaches slowed down at the up, railway staff brought those to stationary by putting blocks on track. Later, an engine was attached to the train which left Kesinga at 12.35 am and reached Puri at 1.30 pm.

Acting on preliminary investigations, East Coast Railway (ECoR) has suspended six more employees, including two engine drivers and three carriage and wagon repairing staff apart from two operating department staff, who were placed under suspension on Saturday.

ECoR General Manager Umesh Singh has called for immediate corrective measures and assured stringent action after probe, which is being conducted by divisional heads of Operating, Safety and Mechanical departments.

However, Chief Safety Officer SS Mishra has suggested an immediate special safety drive at all stations under East Coast Railway division where engine reversal of Mail/Express trains take place and at terminals where trains terminate.

The stations where such drive would be conducted include Talcher, Bhadrak, Angul, Paradip, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Puri, Sambalpur, Bramhapur, Palasa and Khurda Road.Sambalpur DRM Jaideep Gupta visited Titlagarh to take stock of the situation. Meanwhile, Chief Minster Naveen Patnaik has expressed serious concern over the incident that put lives of passengers in danger. “Passenger safety is above everything and cannot be compromised,” he said and demanded that Railway Minister Piyush Goyal should take remedial action to address the lapses.

Meanwhile, inquiry into the incident was started by a team of Sambalpur Railway Division comprising Head of Civil Pradeep Nagar, Head of Operating Dr Milind Hirwe, Head of Mechanical Sanjay Kumar and Head of Safety Diptanshu Sharma. Divisional Railway Manager Dr Jaideep Gupta also reached Titlagarh and joined the preliminary investigation.The team will record statement of those entrusted the job.

The reasons

The preliminary investigation report indicated that the coaches rolled down due to insufficient securing of rake before detaching the power and releasing of brake pipe pressure without ensuring BP/FP coupling. Removal of skids and hand brakes without ensuring BP/FP pressure in guard van gauge and uncoupling of engine from the train after testing of coupling with coaches in released condition were also cited as reasons behind the incident.