Balasore train accident: Railway Board orders week-long safety drive

Days after the Balasore train accident that killed 275 people and injured around 1,000, the ministry of railways has ordered zonal railways and its undertakings to conduct a week-long safety drive with special emphasis on locking, interlocking, and signaling arrangements, senior officials told Business Standard. 

The board has asked zonal railways, Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India, and Konkan Railway to complete and share the results of the drive by June 14.

The accident took place due to suspected interference with the interlocking system or a possible signaling error. These assets will be thoroughly inspected over the next week by zones.

There are also concerns that have been raised over access to the relay room on the station premises, and whether protocol was properly followed in data logging.

Relay rooms, or control rooms, are places where the systems used in large and busy stations that have to handle high volumes of train movements are placed.

“All relay rooms in stations should be checked and ensured for proper working of double locking arrangement,” the order, sent by the board to zones, read. “It should also be checked and ensured that there is data logging and generation of SMS alerts for opening/closing of doors of these rooms.”

The relay room can, by design, only be opened by a twin-lock system. 

The board also asked for a check on whether the system of disconnection and reconnection for signaling and telecom equipment is being followed strictly as per norms.