Eastern Railway’s Response to Kanchanjunga Express Tragedy

Following the tragic collision involving a goods train and the Kanchanjunga Express in West Bengal, Eastern Railway swiftly imposed a ban on issuing Travel Authority (TA-912) that permits Locopilots to proceed through red signals in case of signal failures. This decision came in the wake of a joint probe attributing the accident to alleged violations by the Locopilot, Assistant Locopilot, and Train Manager, citing failure to adhere to signal protocols and excessive speed.

Amidst ongoing scrutiny over the validity of the TA-912 issued to the goods train’s Locopilot, a dissenting view surfaced in the investigation, highlighting procedural lapses in managing signal failures between Rangapani and Chattar Hat stations. The dissenting official argued for stricter adherence to safety protocols, advocating for alternative measures like TD-912 authority with absolute block clearance during signal failures to prevent such tragic incidents in the future.