Technical Snag Behind Odisha Train Tragedy, Says Railways Minister

A technical glitch with the signalling system has been identified as the cause of Friday's devastating train crash in Odisha's Balasore district that left 275 people dead and over 1,000 injured, according to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Vaishnaw confirmed that the underlying issue was related to the point machine and electronic interlocking system.

The electronic interlocking system - a technical term referring to a complex signal system designed to stop trains colliding by arranging their movement on the tracks - malfunctioned, leading to the fatal incident.

"It is about point machine, electronic interlocking. The change that occurred during electronic interlocking, the accident happened due to that. Whoever did it and how it happened will be found out after proper investigation," he said.

The three-way crash, which involved the Bengaluru-Howrah Yashwantpur Superfast Express, Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, and a goods train, occurred near the Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore. The passenger trains were reportedly carrying around 2,500 passengers at the time.

According to the railways, the Coromandel Express slammed into the freight train and the wreckage derailed the Yashwantpur Express.

"The root cause of the horrifying incident has been identified... I do not want to go into details. Let the report come out. I will just say that the root cause and the people responsible have been identified," Mr Vaishnaw said.

The railway minister denied claims that the accident had anything to do with the anti-collision system "Kavach". He refuted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's allegations that the accident could have been prevented with the Kavach device.

Mr Vaishnaw reported that restoration efforts are ongoing, with tracks already laid on one of the main lines. The minister expects the affected tracks to be fully operational by Wednesday, with a manpower of over 1,000 people engaged in the restoration process. More than seven Poclain machines, two Accident Relief Trains, and 3-4 railway and road cranes have been deployed.

The railway ministry has compensated the families of approximately 300 accident victims. Special trains are also being run from various cities, including Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Ranchi, and Kolkata to facilitate the return of patients to their homes post-treatment.

The official report into the accident is expected to provide further details. The preliminary findings revealed that the signal was given and taken off for the up main line for the Coromandel Express. This train entered the loop line, collided with the goods train, and derailed. Meanwhile, the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express passed through the down main line, leading to the derailment and capsizing of two of its coaches, according to railway officials.

"According to the preliminary findings, there has been some issue with the signalling. Only Coromandel Express met with an accident. The train was at a speed of around 128 km/h," Jaya Varma Sinha, a Railway Board member, said at a news conference in Delhi. 

"The goods train did not get derailed. Since the goods train was carrying iron ores, the maximum damage of the impact was on Coromandel Express. This is the reason for a huge number of deaths and injuries," she added.

She said that derailed coaches of the Coromandel Express hit the last two bogies of the Yashwantpur Express. "The derailed bogies of Coromandel Express came on the downline and hit the last two bogies of Yashwantpur Express which was crossing at the speed of 126 km/h from downline," she said.

Rescue operations in the aftermath of the accident involved seven National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, five Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) units, and 24 Fire Services and Emergency units. The Indian Air Force (IAF) also participated in the efforts, deploying Mi-17 helicopters to aid in the evacuation of the dead and injured.