Odisha train accident: Technical glitch or human error? What initial reports suggest

At least 261 people have died in India's worst rail accident in over two decades but there is still no clarity on whether the crash was a result of a technical glitch or human error. Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday reached the accident site in Odisha's Balasore to take stock of the situation and assured to conduct a detailed high-level inquiry into the mishap.

"A detailed high-level inquiry will be conducted and the rail safety commissioner will also do an independent inquiry," Vaishnaw said, adding that the government's focus is on rescue and relief operations.

What the initial reports suggest

According to initial reports from the signalling control room of the railways, the accident may have been the result of human error since the train took the wrong track minutes before the tragedy.

A video, seen by HT, from the signalling control room of the Kharagpur division of the railways shows that Chennai-bound Coromandel Express took a loop line where a freight train was parked near Bahanagar Bazar station, instead of the main line, according to a senior railway official. The video shows four railway tracks including two main lines and two loop lines.

The loop lines are constructed in the station area – in this case, Bahanagar Bazar station – to accommodate more trains to ease out the operations. The loop lines are generally 750 metres in length to accommodate full-length goods train but the Indian Railways has been encouraging the construction of longer loop lines.

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The Coromandel Express, running at about 127 km per hour, collided with the goods train and derailed on the main line, an official from the railway minister said. Within minutes, the Howrah-bound Yashwantnagar Express coming from the opposite direction collided with the derailed Coromandel Express.

"How it happened and why it happened, will be found in the detailed inquiry that the railway board had ordered. But, prima facie it appears to be a human error," the official, who asked not to be named, said.

A retired railway official of the East Coast Railway zone, however, indicated that the accident may have happened due to technical glitches and signal issues.

"Though the goods train was on the loop line of the railway station as per the signal panel kept in the station manager's office, the last few bogies of it may still be physically present on the main line when Coromondal Express came rushing at 127 km per hour." the former official said.

To be sure, the cause of the accident will only be identified after a thorough examination.