Loco pilot watching cricket on smartphone causes deadly train accident in Andhra

In a startling revelation, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw disclosed that the ‘driver’ and his ‘assistant driver’ of one of the trains involved in the tragic collision in Andhra Pradesh were engrossed in watching a cricket match on their phones, leading to the deaths of 14 passengers on October 29, 2023. The collision between the Rayagada Passenger train and the Visakhapatnam Palasa train occurred at around 7 pm along the Howrah-Chennai line in Kantakapalli, Vizianagaram district.

Over 50 passengers suffered injuries in the mishap. Vaishnaw highlighted this incident while discussing the Indian Railways' ongoing efforts to enhance safety measures. It's crucial to note that the terminology ‘driver’ used by the minister might not precisely reflect railway operations, as they are called ‘Loco Pilot’ and ‘Co-Pilot’. Nonetheless, the focus remains on preventing such calamities through stricter safety protocols.

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"The recent case in Andhra Pradesh happened because both the loco pilot and co-pilot were distracted by the cricket match which was going on. Now we are installing systems which can detect any such distraction and make sure that the pilots and the assistant pilots are fully focussed on running the train. We will continue to put our focus on safety. We try to find out the root cause of every incident, and we come up with a solution so that it is not repeated," Vaishnaw said as quoted by India Today.

Sue of discrepancies in Indian Railways  

Though the official report by the Commissioners of Railway Safety (CRS) remains undisclosed, an initial railway investigation conducted a day after the incident blamed the Loco pilot and co-pilot of the Rayagada Passenger train for the collision. The probe revealed that the train had disregarded two faulty auto signals, breaching safety protocols. Tragically, both crew members perished in the accident. The precise findings and recommendations of the CRS report are eagerly awaited to shed more light on the unfortunate incident.

On March 1, the Northern Railways has sidelined the loco pilot of the freight train that autonomously travelled approximately 70 km from Jammu’s Kathua to Punjab’s Ucchi Bassi. Citing “negligence” on his part, the senior divisional mechanical engineer (DME) issued a notice, considering the potential for a “major incident” with potential loss of lives. The decision highlights the gravity of safety lapses within the railway system, stressing on the paramount importance of vigilance and adherence to protocols.

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