A five-member team of senior railway officials investigating the recent derailment of the Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express has pointed to improper fastening of the rail track as the cause of the accident, sources disclosed.
However, the findings are already mired in controversy, with one panel member dissenting and a Railway spokesperson calling the conclusions premature.
The joint probe's report, penned in Hindi, stated, “The fastening of the rail track was not proper, resulting in ineffective functioning.”
This preliminary finding, however, was contested by the Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of the North Eastern Railway Zone, which encompasses the accident site.
He highlighted that it was too early to draw conclusions based on the joint probe's report.
“The investigation by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) has commenced, with the first hearing taking place on Friday. This detailed inquiry will examine every aspect of the accident with technical specifications and minute details. Many crucial factors might not be covered in the joint probe, making it premature to arrive at any definitive conclusion,” the CPRO stated.
The derailment of the Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express (Train no. 15904) between Motiganj and Jhilahi railway stations near Gonda in Uttar Pradesh resulted in the deaths of four people and left several injured on Thursday.
According to the joint probe team's report, a senior section engineer in the Lucknow division, which manages this section of the track, detected an IMR defect (Immediate Removal Defect) at 1:30 pm. The Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express passed through Motiganj station at 2:28 pm.
At 2:30 pm, the station master of Motiganj was instructed to implement a speed restriction of 30 km/h for trains crossing the defective spot. However, the derailment occurred at 2:31 pm when the engine traversed the defective area.
The report maintained, “When IMR was detected (at 1:30 pm), the site should have been secured until the caution order was issued. This was not done, leading to the derailment. The engineering department is responsible.”
Contrarily, a senior railway officer from the engineering department expressed strong disagreement with the joint probe’s findings.
He contended that the measurement of the track was performed improperly in his absence and argued that it was incorrect to conclude that the site was not protected, asserting that the IMR spot was in satisfactory condition and not the cause of the derailment.
This officer also censured the probe team for rejecting his requests for various technical assessments, such as wheel measurements, buffer height, and coupling of parcel vans, ultimately attributing the derailment to improper braking by the loco pilot.
The probe team documented the accident's details based on statements from the train crew.
According to their account, the loco pilot departed from Motiganj station at 2:28 pm at a speed of 25 km/h.
While crossing kilometer marker 638/12, the defective spot, at 80 km/h, the loco pilot experienced a severe jerk followed by a rattling sound, prompting an emergency brake application.
Upon halting the engine and inspecting the situation, the loco pilot observed the derailed coaches amidst a cloud of dust. The joint probe report noted that 19 coaches had derailed in the incident.
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