Indian Railways implements double-locking arrangement and strengthened protocols after Odisha train tragedy – Here’s all about it

Following the tragic Odisha train incident that claimed the lives of over 280 people on June 2, the Railway Board has taken further measures to enhance safety protocols. Officials have announced that a double-locking arrangement will be implemented for all signalling assets, and additional directives have been issued to strengthen the procedure for train movement after maintenance work.

The recent communication from the Railway Board to railway zones emphasises the need for a double-locking arrangement in relay rooms containing train controlling mechanisms, relay huts housing signalling and telecommunications equipment of level-crossings, as well as point and track circuit signals. This order stems from the understanding that the “signalling interference” that led to the Coromandel Express mistakenly taking the loop line at Balasore and colliding with a stationary goods train was a result of unauthorised access to the relay room.