The disastrous derailment of the 15904 Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express at Gonda on July 18, claimed four lives and could have been prevented, according to a preliminary report by the commissioner of railway safety (CRS). The report points out some critical lapses in the rail route safety procedure where critical warnings were missed by the officials in charge of the maintenance of the rail line tracks. This led to more or less catastrophic consequences, culminating into derailment that easily could have been avoided if it was the case to take proper measures and action in time.
CRS Key Findings on the Tragedy at Gonda
From the CRS, negligence was the main course leading to the Gonda disaster tragedy and its associated key incidents as well as decisions that actually ended up into the fatal derailment, which are
- Failure to Respond to the Early Warnings
Two days before derailment, the keyman, responsible for track inspection, detected a defect in railway tracks at the accident area. On July 16 he reported this defect to junior engineer JE P Way, but the latter rejected the warning terming it unnecessary.
Despite the keyman giving a second warning just five minutes before the train derailed, JE P Way did not take it seriously. The Buckling of the tracks was visible and subjected the train to a major risk, but they thought that the defect was minor and nothing was done on time.
- Ultrasonic Flaw Detection Did Not Identify the Degree
The rail tracks had undergone a routine ultrasonic flaw detection test about 80 minutes before the derailment. The test revealed that there was an internal manufacturing defect (IMR) in the rail weld.
Nevertheless, this warning was not acted on by the concerned officials.
The Motiganj station master, in service for just four months, received a caution memorandum regarding the defect at 2:20 pm. Lacking confidence about the gravity of the matter, he allowed the train to pass without any cautionary restrictions although the risk was glaring.
3. Track Conditions Contributed to the Derailment
It had appeared in the report that track conditions on the day of the accident were far from optimal. Elastic rail clips (ERC) meant for locking rails to the sleepers had been fitted with cloth rather than the material provided, while several rubber pads, cushioning the rail and sleeper, were absent; they had been missing, mainly on the right side of the track.
Derailment is contributed to faulty track conditions and abnormal behavior of the LRW. In summary, missing ERCs and pads in the track led to instability of the track which could not withstand the speed of the train.
- Insufficient Training and Experience
The CRS report labels the failure to avert the accident as being caused by key railway staff members without sufficient training and experience. The keyman, though he identified the serious track defect, could not ensure timely action because of his limited authority and no mechanism in place. The unpracticed station didn’t anticipate the outcomes of permitting the train to go at maximum speed in spite of clear admonitions about the risky condition of the track.
Recommendations for Improvement
The CRS report put forth a number of important recommendations that have been made to prevent a recurrence of such incidents in the future:
Regular Inspection:
The report further advises junior administrative grade (JAG) level officials to inspect railway tracks, especially sections having long rail welds (LRW), at regular intervals. This recommendation comes after four years of failure by North Eastern Railway (NER) officials to redress the problems at Motiganj-Jhilahi section.
Improved Training Programs:
The CRS stresses the need for improving training at all levels among railway staff. Improved training will ensure that key men and station masters are trained adequately to identify and respond in time to track defects.
Temporary Speed Restrictions:
The report also recommended that there be temporary speed restrictions on a rail section if it is not deemed fit for regular operations. This would reduce the risk until proper repairs or replacements are done.
Impact of LHB Coaches
The LHB coaches of the 15904 Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express have played a very important role in reducing the casualties to a minimal number. Had it been a train with ICF old coaches, the impact would have been much more, and even deaths might have risen more.
Conclusion
The CRS report on the Gonda train derailment emphasizes the need for timely action, proper training, and strict adherence to safety measures to avoid such disasters. If railway officials had acted on early warnings and improved track conditions, they could have saved four lives. Implementation of the recommendations in the report would bring about significant improvements in India’s railway safety standards and prevent such incidents from occurring again. A final report is to be submitted to the Railway Board in early 2025 for further analysis and appropriate action.
Refer :
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