The ill-fated Coromandel Express will resume its services from Wednesday, days after the deadly triple train accident in Odisha’s Balasore that claimed 288 lives and injured over 1,100 people. Chief Public Relations Officer of Railways Aditya Kumar Chaudhary told ANI: “The Coromandel Express is ready to recommence its services from Wednesday”.
The Balasore train accident took place on Friday evening when the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express collided with a stationary goods train, which led to the derailing of 10-12 coaches of the Coromandel Express into the adjacent track near the Bahanga Bazaar Railway station.
The Yeshvantpur to Howrah train collided with the affected carriages at high speed, causing further derailment. Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday said the rail accident took place due to a “change in electronic interlocking”.
Train services were severely affected in Balasore after the triple train mishap. Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday waved at the crew of a goods train carrying coal headed towards Rourkela steel plant from Vizag port as train services resumed 51 hours after the train accident.
Vaishnaw said: “Services on both tracks have been restored. Normal train services on both lines have now been restored, 51 hours after the accident”. The Howrah-Puri Vande Bharat Express train crossed the restored track in Balasore hours after passenger train services were restored in the district.
Moreover, Ashwini Vaishnaw also recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the accident. Vaishnaw’s comments came after a member of the Railway board Jaya Varma Sinha said they suspect there was an “issue with signalling” that led to the collision.
Commenting on the CBI investigation, Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) of the southeastern circle Anant Madhukar Chowdhary said that the CBI investigation will run parallel to the investigation by the Railways.
(With ANI inputs)
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