Another year, another June: Nothing much changed for Indian railways as goods train hit Kanchanjunga Express en route Sealdah in WB

A train tragedy jolted Indian railways on the morning of June 17 after Kanchanjunga Express traveling from Agartala in Tripura to Sealdah in Kolkata was hit by a goods train near Rangapani station, close to New Jalpaiguri, leading to deaths of at least 10 people and severely injuring over 45 others.

The cause of the accident is said to be human error and a defective automatic signaling system.

Among the first responders after the accident were nearby villagers who swiftly converged on the scene, initiating rescue efforts and facilitating the transport of the wounded to North Bengal Medical College for medical attention.

They brought household utensils like tongs and work instruments including hammers and shovels for rescue efforts.

The villagers braved the heavy rain and managed to bring out most of the injured and the dead from the bogies, hours before railwaymen and trained rescue personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) reached the site.

A railway team reached the spot for rescue operations at 10.45 am, approximately two hours after the accident, the locals involved in rescue operations said. Around noon, the NDRF team arrived by which time nearly all injured had been rescued and most bodies retrieved, they said.

A passenger named Arjun, hailing from Shillong in Meghalaya, was en route to Sealdah in pursuit of employment opportunities.

Recounting the ordeal, Arjun stated, “The incident occurred at approximately 8:30 am when an abrupt, thunderous crash resonated, followed by an intense jolt. Engrossed in mobile games at the time, I was caught off guard as our coach began to overturn amidst rising chaos.”

“Fortuitously, I escaped unscathed but was separated from my luggage and personal effects. Our coach was occupied by nearly 20 passengers; while most were accounted for, two individuals remain unlocated despite our search efforts,” he told Education Post.

Another Meghalaya native, Rohan, while talking to Education Post described the event as surreal, saying, “It felt like an abrupt plunge into a nightmare. I was disoriented for a few moments until fellow passengers came to my aid, helping me regain awareness of the calamity that had unfolded.”

“I was mid-conversation on my phone when the shock hit... The subsequent events are a blur. My immediate instinct was to reassure my family of my safety,” he said.

According to the Railway Board's preliminary report, the goods train, operating under a defective automatic signaling system was above speed limits when it collided with the Kanchanjunga Express.

The Railway Board said that since the goods train was operating on a defective automatic signalling system, its driver was given a TA 912 by the station master of Rangapani which authorized him to cross all red signals between Rangapani and Chattarhat railway stations. However, the speed of the goods train exceeded the permissible limit set in such cases.

The TA 912 document is provided to the train driver authorizing him to pass all red signals when the automated system fails, given they follow the stringent safety measures. Both the Kanchanjunga Express and the goods train had been issued TA 912.

While the Kanchanjunga Express cleared nine automatic signals while adhering to the measures, the goods train driver violated these critical conditions.

On Tuesday, the train services at Rangapani near West Bengal's New Jalpaiguri station were resumed after exhaustive repair work.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, heavily criticized the central government and pointed out several flaws in the system including the absence of anti-collision devices in trains, the increase in railway fares, inadequate passenger amenities, negligence, and the lack of proper care for railway employees. She also recalled her stint as railway minister saying during her tenure, anti-collision devices were introduced and successfully installed in the Konkan Railways.

Meanwhile, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw visited the site to oversee relief operations. He announced a compensation of ₹ 10 lakh to the families of the deceased, ₹ 2.5 lakh to the grievously injured, and ₹ 50,000 to those with minor injuries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also offered his condolences to the victims and prayed for the recovery of those who were injured.

The railway accident in West Bengal is saddening. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. Spoke to officials and took stock of the situation. Rescue operations are underway to assist the affected. The Railways Minister Shri @AshwiniVaishnaw Ji is on the way to the site of the mishap as well," PM Modi posted on X.

In June 2023, three trains collided including the Coromandel Express in Balasore district, Odisha. One of India's deadliest railway disasters that happened at Bahanaga Bazar station claimed the lives of 296 people and left over 1,200 others injured.

A chargesheet was filed against three Railway employees by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) last September, including two engineers and a technician, in connection with the June 2 train accident. However, the case is still pending in the trial court.

Following the catastrophic train collision, concerned authorities had promised substantial reforms and enhanced safety measures but the recurrence of another major accident within a year highlights the lack of effective implementation of these reforms.

A few other train accidents after Balasore accident included the Andhra Pradesh train accident involving Visakhapatnam-Palasa and Visakhapatnam-Rayagada passenger trains in October 2023, in which 14 people were killed and several injured.

Another mishap occurred in October 2023 in which four people died and over 70 people were injured after six coaches of the 12506 Anand Vihar Terminal-Kamakhya Junction North East Express derailed in Bihar's Buxar district.