Satyagraha Express mishap not because of railway staff failure

New Delhi, May 19 (UNI) The April 10 collision of Raxaul-Delhi Satyagraha Express with an earth moving machine in Moradabad Division was caused due to ''the failure of persons other than the Railway staff,'' a statutory inquiry into the mishap has revealed.

Two people, including a train passenger, were killed and six others, five of them being train passengers, were grievously injured, in the accident.

The inquiry, conducted by The Commissioner of Railway Safety, Northern Circle, concluded that the mishap took place when the train collided with a JCB machine at the work site in Moradabad Division of Northern Railway.

In order to prevent such mishaps, the Commission made a slew of ecommendations, including mandatory barricading of all sites adjoining railway tracks, where work is required to be undertaken by the use of road vehicles or machines.

All such sites ''should invariably be barricaded irrespective of distance of the worksite from the track,'' it said.

All Guards of the trains should be given a list containing emergency sockets provided in various sections.

TTEs and railway officials travelling in the train must report to the Guard and also inform the Section Control/adjoining Station Masters of their presence at the site of accident.

Further, digital cameras must be provided to all the branch officers of safety organisations of the Divisions and the headquarters along with cells and battery chargers, and they should carry these to the accident sites for undertaking photographs to preserve the clues.

UNI SKS VD DS155