Andhra accident: Initial probe points finger at Rayagada passenger train crew
The report said that seven experts, who have signed it, carefully examined the accident site, available evidence, statements of officials concerned, data logger report and the speedometer chart.
New Delhi: A preliminary railway probe into the Sunday evening 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.
The report said that seven experts, who have signed it, carefully examined the accident site, available evidence, statements of officials concerned, data logger report and the speedometer chart.
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It concluded that the Rayagada passenger train (08504) hit the Visakhapatnam Palasa passenger train (08532), which was running at a restricted speed, 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 norms, 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.
It said there were two defective auto signals between the Kantakapalli-Alamanda (kpl-alm) section where the collision took place. The Visakhapatnam Palasa passenger train stopped at both the signals and then was proceeding at the restricted speed of 10 km per hour.
However, the Rayagada passenger train didn’t follow these norms at both the defective signal and collided with the first train running with restricted speed, according to the initial report.
The Rayagada Passenger train hit the Visakhapatnam Palasa train 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.
Four coaches of the Palasa passenger train and two coaches of Rayagada passenger train were badly damaged and capsized, the report said.