Railways issues advisory to hold counselling for staff in the wake of Odisha's Balasore triple-train tragedy

The purpose of this exercise is to enhance "alertness and proper compliance in other duties during normal and abnormal situations," the advisory read

To ensure smooth and safe movement of trains, the Railway Board has asked all its divisions to hold sessions for train managers and controllers regarding their duties.

In an advisory addressed to principal chief operations managers, the Railway Board said, "A regular programme for counselling of all train running staff on specific safety and movement issues is required to be prepared and executed."

The railways board issued this urgent advisory to its field offices following the recent major train accident near Balasore in Odisha that killed 288 passengers and injured over 1,000.

"A system of periodic counselling of train managers and section controllers regarding their duties and responsibilities is required to ensure smooth and safe movement of trains of Indian Railways," the advisory said.

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"Such a system is already in place in a few zones and for all SM (station masters)/pointsman in all zones," it said.

The purpose of this exercise is to enhance "alertness and proper compliance in other duties during normal and abnormal situations," the advisory said.

With top railway officials suspecting that deliberate interference in the signalling system was behind the major tragedy, the Railways has already ordered safety drives in the railway system with focus on signalling the telecommunication .

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who returned from Odisha on Tuesday, has held deliberations with key officials to firm up plans to bring in changes that would reinforce the existing security and safety mechanism of critical infrastructure in the Railways.

Railway Board chairman A K Lahoti, in his recent meeting with zonal level officials, advised that the staff should be sensitised to not take shortcuts in maintenance.