Entire rake rolled down without an engine at Titlagarh station

A probe has been ordered by a panel comprising divisional heads

The incident of rake rolling into the section is a height of the carelessness of staff

Sambalpur: In a shocking incident, the entire Ahmedabad-Puri Express rake, comprising 22 coaches, rolled down without an engine from Titlagarh (Bolangir district) to Kesinga (Kalahandi) on Saturday, 7th April, evening covering a distance of 13km. All passengers are stated to be safe and Sambalpur Division sent in a locomotive to bring the coaches back to Titlagarh so that the train can head towards the destination. The incident took place because the local staff failed to apply skid brakes and secure the coaches at Titlagarh railway station where the engine is disengaged and a new diesel engine attached for reversal. Since the gradient from Titlagarh towards Kesigna section is down, the coaches rolled on.

The East Coast Railway authorities acknowledged that the incident was the result of negligence by the staff. DRM, Sambalpur Jaideep Gupta immediately suspended two staff – Dharmendra Nial and Kanta Kharsel. Unofficial sources said three more staff have also been placed under suspension.

“More heads will roll because the incident could have resulted in a major mishap and slack supervision would not go punished,” said the sources in the ECoR. A probe has been ordered by a panel comprising divisional heads of Operating, Safety, Mechanical departments.

ADRM Sambalpur LVSS Patrudeo and Senior Divisional Safety Officer, D. Sharma rushed to Titlagarh. A control room was opened to monitor the situation. While engine detachment and attachment is a regular feature at Titlagarh for all trains going to and coming from Raipur, such an incident shocked many.

The incident occurred at around 10.05 pm, about half an hour after the train reached the station. Sources said the engine is reversed at Titlagarh and accordingly the engine was detached. The coaches should have been secured with skids when the engine was detached.

However, it appears that skids were either not placed or placed improperly but the reason would be clear after a detailed inquiry, sources said. DRM Gupta said the Control Room at Sambalpur took a strategic decision which prevented a major disaster. As there is an up-gradient at Kesinga, the control room allowed the coaches without any intervention because stopping it on a down-gradient could have resulted in an accident. The level crossing gates were ordered to remain closed.

The speed of the coaches slowed down at the up where the staff put blocks. I was in touch with the passengers on the mobile phone asking them not to worry,” he said. GM/ECoR Umesh Singh has advised strictest action against negligent act endangering the safety of trains. “Safety is non-negotiable and cannot be compromised with. Any Railway employee found guilty will be taken up severely,” a top source said.

Meanwhile, ‘Railway Samachar’ found a message on social media. Said message send by PED/Safety, Railway Board. As per message PED/Safety said to all the Zonal Railways that “yesterday night’s incident of the rake of train no. 18406 rolling into the section on account of the carelessness of staff in attaching of the loco to the rake during power reversal at Titlagarh station in Sambalpur Division, ECOR is a serious eye opener to the negligence during shunting at stations. A catastrophe has been saved as the rake with passengers on it stopped on its own in the section and didn’t strike against something and derail.”

“Earlier also incidents of loco or wagons rolling into sections have occurred on account of improper securing or shunting. CRB has instructed that a month-long joint drive by operating and electrical departments to be launched regarding shunting at stations, all over IR during which the shunting staff and loco pilots/shunters should be intensively monitored and counseled by the TIs and LIs. CSOs to oversee the drive. At the end of the drive, GMs to give a report about their observations, actions taken and suggestions for improvement.” read the message.