‘Mistaken signal’ likely to have caused the crash, claim railway authorities on tragic accident

Odisha, 03rd June 2023: Authorities at the Indian Railways stated that the Howrah-Chennai Coromandel Express entered the loop line in Balasore because of a “mistaken” signal.

According to a preliminary investigation by top railway officials, the Coromandel Express entered the railway line on which a cargo train was parked a few yards ahead, resulting in a three-train catastrophe in Odisha’s Balasore late on Friday that killed as many as 288 people and injured 747, as per offical info.

The line where the two trains collided was also described as “partially corroded” in the report.

A loop line is a railway track that branches off from the main line and rejoins it at a later point. They primarily function as service lanes allowing trains to make stops or overtaking manoeuvres without interfering with other trains.

The two-page handwritten report was presented on Saturday by senior railway employees JN Subudhi, RK Banerjee, RK Panjira, and AK Mohantu. According to the report, the assessments were based on observations and recordings from the signal room at Bahanagar Bazar railway station.