Railway signalling staff was pulled up for ‘shortcuts’ months before the Odisha crash

New Delhi, 15th June 2023: The Indian Railway Board stated that the signalling personnel were disciplined in April for taking “shortcuts” when reconnecting the signalling gear following repair work without thorough point testing. The board stated in a letter dated April 3 that five such events had been recorded from various railway zones.

“Five incidents on the dangerous side involving points have occurred on various zonal railways,” it stated, calling the incidents “alarming and a serious concern.”

The board expressed its displeasure with the signalling department, saying that despite repeated instructions, the “ground situation is not improving, and the signalling staffers are continuing to adopt shortcut methods” for clearing signals without checking correspondence from the sites and without a proper exchange of disconnection or re-connection memo with the operating staff.

The Railway Board also stated that major infrastructure projects are underway with strict deadlines and that officers and field personnel must be made aware that the integrity of the signalling system is critical for safety.

The railway minister and other officials had suggested that signal interference could have been the cause of a catastrophic disaster involving three trains in Odisha’s Balasore on June 2.

The Railway Board also emphasised that big infrastructure projects with stringent deadlines are now underway and that officials and workers on the ground must be made aware that the integrity of the signalling system is vital for safety.

Signal interference, according to the railway minister and other officials, could have been the cause of a terrible accident involving three trains on June 2 in Odisha’s Balasore.