Tamil Nadu train accident: Experts see Balasore rerun as data-logger video shows train changed track before collision

A day after the Tamil Nadu train accident, experts said that according to the data-logger video, the train was given a green signal to pass through the main line, however, it entered a loop line already occupied by the freight train.  

The Mysuru-Darbhanga Bagmati Express collided with a stationary goods train at the Kavaraippettai railway station in the Chennai rail division in Tamil Nadu at around 8:30 pm on October 11 leading to injuries to 19 passengers. 

The data logger is a device placed in the station area to capture train movements and signal aspects, among other things. 

This data logger's yard-simulation video has been circulated among senior railway officials' WhatsApp groups since October 12 morning, prompting them to draw a parallel between the accident and the Balasore train collision of June 2, 2023. 

Chief public relations officer (CPRO) of the Southern Railway said he is not aware of any such video and that multiple investigations have already been initiated into the collision, PTI reported. 

In a press statement released on October 11, the Railway Board also admitted that the passenger train was given a green signal for the main line but it experienced a jerk and entered the loop line, resulting in the collision with the freight train. A high-level enquiry has been ordered into the incident. 

In Balasore, the Howrah-bound Coromandel Express was given a green signal for the main line. However, due to the wrong interlocking of tracks, it entered a loop line and collided with a stationary goods train. 

Sanjay Pandhi, working president of the Indian Railway Loco Runningmen’s Organisation (IRLRO), expressed surprise as according to him, all previous trains passed through the said station “without any abnormalities in the signalling and interlocking system”, the PTI report added. 

K P Arya, a retired chief signal and telecom engineer/information technology in the Northern Railway, told PTI that the data logger’s yard-simulation video shows that the train concerned is going on both the main line as well as the loop line, which is not possible. 

Arya said it is a widely-known (but never officially acknowledged) engineering defect of tracks and interlocking-point mechanisms, which can cause such a derailment. 

The experts said a clear picture would only emerge after a thorough investigation, which is already on. 

Meanwhile, restoration work is underway at the site to resume train services. However, rain has affected the pace of the restoration efforts. Railway officials today said that it will take approximately 16 hours for the restoration.