June 17th 2024.
Early in the morning, there was a major incident at Ranipatra Railway Station in West Bengal. A goods train collided with the Sealdah Kanchanjungha Express from behind, causing significant damage. According to a railway source, this was due to a defect in the automatic signalling system between the two stations. The source also mentioned that this defect had been present since 5:50am.
The incident occurred around 8:27am when Train No. 13174 departed from Rangapani station and came to a halt between Ranipatra and Chattar Hat. This was a result of the automatic signalling failure that had been ongoing for almost three hours. Another railway official explained that when such a failure occurs, the station master issues a written authority known as TA 912. This allows the train driver to pass through all red signals in the affected area due to the defect.
In this case, the station master at Ranipatra had issued TA 912 to Train No. 1374. However, at the same time, a goods train known as GFCJ left Rangapani at 8:42am and hit Train No. 13174 from behind. As a result of the collision, the guard's coach, two parcel coaches, and a general seating coach were derailed. The initial statement from the Railway Board stated that the goods train driver had violated the signal, and the death toll was reported to be five. However, some local officials believe that the number of casualties could be as high as 15.
Further investigation is needed to determine whether the goods train was also given TA 912 to pass through the defective signals or if the driver violated the norm. If it is found that the driver violated the signals, it would have been his responsibility to stop the train for a minute at each defective signal and continue at a speed of 10 kmph. There has been some controversy surrounding the Railway Board's statement, as the loco pilot's body has questioned their claim that he violated the red signal.
Sanjay Pandhi, the working president of the Indian Railway Loco Runningmen Organisation, expressed his disapproval of the Railway Board's statement, stating that it was unfair to blame the deceased driver before the investigation had concluded. According to Jaya Varma Sinha, the Chairperson of the Railway Board, the collision occurred because the goods train disregarded the signal and hit the Kanchanjungha Express, which was on its way to Sealdah from Agartala. The incident has caused major disruptions and has highlighted the importance of maintaining a functional automatic signalling system for the safety of passengers and trains.
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