Reason for Kanchenjunga train accident: Locomotive pilot ignored signal, how drivers make mistakes

New Delhi: The Kanchenjunga Express heading to Sealdah in West Bengal met with an accident near New Jalpaiguri on Monday morning. He was hit from behind by a freight train. The Kanchenjunga Express was stopped here when a freight train coming behind hit it. After the collision with the freight train, 3 bogies of the train derailed. It is said that the train pilot had ignored the signal. Railway Board Chairman Jaya Verma Sinha said the Kanchenjunga train met with an accident. The driver of the freight train collided with the passenger train. Initial reports indicate that the driver of the goods train had ignored the signal. Due to this, the rear carriage of the passenger train was completely damaged and in front were two carriages of parcel vans that were damaged. Let’s understand what are the reasons for train accidents in India.

Train accidents due to human error or negligence

Railway staff who operate, maintain and manage trains and tracks often suffer from fatigue, negligence, resentment and corruption, increasing the risk of ignoring safety rules and procedures. This becomes one of the main reasons for human error or negligence.

Major railway accident in West Bengal; bogies of a goods train boarded the Kanchenjunga Express train; so far there are 15 dead

Signal failure due to human error or negligence

Human error or negligence often includes giving incorrect signals, miscommunication, speeding, or ignoring faults. Many times railway staff do not receive adequate training or communication skills. This affects their performance and coordination.

These types of accidents occur due to signal failures.

Failure of the signaling system that controls the movement and direction of trains also becomes a cause of accidents. The reasons behind this are technical glitches, power outages or human errors. Giving the wrong signal puts the train on the wrong track, increasing the chances of it colliding with another train. This was the main reason for the Odisha train accident last year.
The train accident in West Bengal changed the routes of many trains, see the list here

Unmanned crossings (UMLC) are also a big reason

Many times unmanned crossings are also the cause of train accidents. Although this old system has been eliminated in most places in the country, it is still in effect in some places. In 2018-19, 16 percent of all train accidents nationwide were caused by these unmanned crossings.

Structural defects also become the reason.

Structural defects in railways are also often the cause of railway accidents. These include problems such as roads in poor condition, dilapidated bridges or broken electrical cables. Actually, the reason behind this is lack of timely repairs, being too old, violent protests or natural disasters.

Why are these defects not resolved?

In reality, most railway structures were built in the 19th and 20th centuries. If they are not updated according to modern times and new norms, such accidents may occur. Railways also have to battle lack of funds in many places. Corruption is also a big problem that railways have to deal with.

Kanchanjunga Express accident: Deafening screams, people drenched in blood, read eyewitness account of train accident in Bengal

Excessive load on many routes.

Many rail routes are so busy that even at 100% operating capacity work is affected. In reality, overload and workload are very high on these busy routes.

What measures have the railways taken so far?

Railways has created the National Railway Safety Fund. It was started in 2017-18 with a fund of Rs 1 lakh crore. Within this framework, road repairs, signaling projects, bridge rehabilitation, etc. are carried out.

What is the armor being talked about?

This is a locally developed Automatic Train Guard (AWACH), the installation of which has been talked about for the last few years. It is talked about every time a train accident occurs, but for the last 20 to 22 years, the AWACH could not be installed.

GPS based fog passing device

Train accidents often occur in fog and mist. To avoid this, a GPS-based fog passing device has been created. This device informs in advance about the signals and level crossing gates. It also alerts the locomotive pilot with a loud sound.

The interlock system is also important

The interlock system controls all points and signals. Control all points and signals from a central location through electrical or electronic devices.