Staff alertness could have averted Odisha triple train accident: Probe

A month after the triple train collision in Odisha that resulted in the death of almost 300 people, a high-level investigation by the Commission of Rail Safety (CRS) has said that the lack of vigilance by several staff members and lapses by signalling and telecommunications department at multiple levels caused the accident.

“These lapses resulted in wrong signalling to Train 12841 (Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express), where green signal was indicated for run through movement on the main line of the station, but crossover 17 A/B was set to the up loop line. This caused the train to traverse on a loop line, and an eventual rear collision with the goods train,” the CRS report, seen by Business Standard, said.