Human error or signal failure: What caused Kanchenjunga Express accident?

A preliminary probe has found that the Kanchanjunga Express accident was a case of “human error” which was caused by "signal disregard".

"The collision took place because the goods train loco pilot disregarded the signal and hit the Kanchanjunga Express, which was on its way to Sealdah from Agartala," Railway Board Chairperson Jaya Varma Sinha told reporters.

"Driver and assistant loco pilot of the goods train and guard of Kanchenjunga Express train died in the accident," she said, adding that a detailed probe would reveal the cause of the tragedy.

Nine people, comprising train passengers and crew, were killed and 41 others injured when a goods train rammed into the rear of the stationary Sealdah-bound Kanchanjungha Express in West Bengal's Darjeeling district on Monday, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.

The Minister said out of the nine dead, five bodies including those of the two drivers of the Goods train, the guard of the passenger train, one RMS employee, and a state Excise department official have been identified.

The Sealdah-bound 13174 Down Kanchanjungha Express that left Agartala on Sunday met with the accident around 8.55 a.m, about 10 km away from the New Jalpaiguri (NJP) railway station, when many passengers aboard were yet to start their day.

According to preliminary information received from railway officials, the passenger train was stationary on the tracks when the goods train hit it from behind.

Four coaches on the rear side of the express train and five wagons of the container train were derailed by the impact of the crash.

The automatic signalling system between Rangapani Railway Station and Chattar Hat Junction in West Bengal was defective from 5.50 in the morning, sources said.

Kanchanjungha Express left Rangapani at 8:27 am and stopped between Rangapani and Chattar Hat station due to automatic signalling failure from 5:50 am," sources added.

Whenever the automatic signalling system fails, the station master issues a written authority called TA 912, which authorises the driver to cross all red signals in the section because of the defect. As per the procedure, the station master of Rangapani had issued TA 912 to Train No 1374 (Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express)," said the official.

Sources said, "An investigation alone can establish whether the goods train was also given TA 912 to cross defective signals at speed or if it was the loco pilot who violated the defective signal norm."

"If the goods train diver was given TA 912 written authority, the driver was supposed to stop the train for one minute at each defective signal and move on at 10 km/ph speed," source added.

However, the loco pilots’ body has objected to the Railways’ comment, citing a pending inquiry into the matter.

"It is highly objectionable to announce the deceased loco pilot responsible when he is dead and the CRS (Commissioner of Railway Safety) inquiry is pending," Sanjay Pandhi, working president of the Indian Railway Loco Runningmen Organisation (IRLRO), told news agency PTI.

The central government announced an enhanced ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased. The announcement was made by Vaishnaw in a social media post on X.

"Enhanced ex-gratia compensation will be provided to the victims; Rs 10 Lakh in case of death, Rs 2.5 Lakh towards grievous and ?50,000 for minor injuries," said the minister, who visited the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital and talked to the injured people admitted there.