Sabotage led to Bagmati Express train accident in Tamil Nadu, finds CRS probe

Several passengers were injured when the Bagmati Express entered a loop line instead of getting into the main line and hit from the rear a stationary goods train.

New Delhi: The probe into the Mysuru-Darbhanga Bagmati Express accident at Kavaraipettai station in Southern Railway’s Chennai Division in October 2014 has revealed that it was a sabotage, as miscreants forcefully removed the components of the track interlocking system.

The Commissioner of Railway Safety of Southern Circle, A M Choudhary, who probed the train accident, in his report said the collision between the Bagmati Express and a stabled freight train “happened not due to automatic/sudden failure of any equipment/assets but due to the forceful alteration in the designed position of LH (left hand) tongue rails by the miscreant(s)”.

“Therefore, the accident is classified under the category ‘sabotage’,” the CRS said.

On October 11, 2014, Mysuru-Darbhanga Bagmati Express (Train No 12578) entered a loop line instead of getting into the main line and hit from the rear a stationary goods train at Kavaraippettai railway station. Thirteen coaches of the Bagmati Express derailed and one of its coaches caught fire and 19 passengers sustained injuries.

The CRS asked the railways to identify the vulnerable areas prone to sabotage and ensure patrolling based on the level of threat. The ministry, in its response, said the Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) of the Railway Protection Force (RPF), in coordination with central and state intelligence agencies, has strengthened security to prevent sabotage, especially from insiders.

The CRS also directed that the railways adopt fixing of anti-pilferage measures for the fittings and connections, as done in the rolling stocks or in some other way. To minimise the possibility of such incidents, the CRS advised that blacksmiths and other artisan staff must get issued tools for each day’s work and return them to their store/toolbox.

The Railway Ministry, in its reply, said that to prevent theft of point machine fittings and tongue rails of turnouts, anti-theft measures have been implemented. Tamper-resistant fasteners, developed both by the industry and railway workshops, are under trial with a focus on field applicability, it said.

Praising the loco pilot of the Bagmati Express for his extraordinary presence of mind, the report said, “Loco pilot of train no 12578 showed outstanding alertness and promptness in applying emergency brakes. This reduced the speed of the train and the consequent impact of the collision. His commendable action may be suitably recognised by the railways.”

The Railway Ministry said loco pilot, G Subramani, from Chennai Division, has been recommended for the Ati Vishisht Rail Seva Puraskar.