Kanchanjunga Express Accident: What’s T/A912? Why was It Issued to Locopilot of Goods Train? – News18

The inquiry into the Kanchanjunga Express train accident in West Bengal on Monday points to human error and signal failure that led to a collision killing nine people and injuring 41.

The locopilot of the goods train rammed into the rear of the Kanchanjunga Express between Rangapani and Chattar Hat railway stations of the Northeast Frontier Railway in West Bengal after being authorised to cross all red signals by Rangapani Station Master.

The Railway Board’s initial report had revealed that the goods train, operating under a defective automatic signalling system, was travelling above speed limits when it crashed into the Kanchanjunga Express.

“Automatic signalling has failed and you are hereby authorised to pass all automatic signals between RNI (Rangapani Railway Station) and CAT (Chattar Hat Junction),” document T/A 912 stated.

What is the Travel Authority Issued to Locopilot?

When a signal failure in the automatic system occurs, the rules demand that the station master issue a written pass to the driver to cross the red signals. This written authority is called PLCT (paper line clear ticket) TA 912. According to the source, TA 912 had been issued to the driver of the express train.

According to railway officials, when such a document (TA 912) is given, the loco pilot needs to approach the red signal at 10 kmph, bring his train to a stop as close as possible to the rear of the signal, wait for 1 minute during day time and 2 minutes at night at the signal, and then proceed with extreme caution at speed not exceeding 15 kmph in good visibility conditions and 10 kmph in poor visibility.

The locopilot should also ensure that a minimum distance of 150 metres or two clear OHE span is maintained between his train and the preceding train or any obstruction on the line, as per a report by The Times of India.

Whose Fault Is It?

The TA 912 authority letter mentioned that the automatic signalling system had failed and authorised the driver to pass all automatic signals between Rangapani and Chattarhat, regardless of whether they were red or caution signals.

The Chairman of Railway Board and Chief Executive Officer, Jaya Varma Sinha, claimed in an interview to a television channel that the goods train had “disregarded” the signal resulting in the accident.

Documents, however, revealed that the Kanchanjunga Express was given a similar authority to pass all signals in danger. The train had come to a halt at signal (AS-650) when the rear end collision took place, according to a report by The Hindu.

The Indian Railway Loco Runningmen Organisation (IRLRO) has expressed doubts about the railways’ claim that the driver disregarded the red light and strongly disagreed with attributing the disaster to a deceased loco pilot while an investigation is still being conducted.

“Now, it is clear from the document that the loco pilot of the goods train was authorised to cross red signals because they were defective. This is the failure of the railway administration and not the fault of the driver,” the organisation’s working president Sanjay Pandhi said, according to The Indian Express.

How the Tragedy Unfolded?

The collision occurred near Rangapani station, 30 km from New Jalpaiguri station, causing four rear compartments of Kanchanjunga Express to derail due to the impact by the goods train’s locomotive at 8.55 am, an official said.

Passengers said the train was moving dead slow when the goods train rammed into it. Five containers from the goods train spilled over to the adjacent tracks.

The accident was similar to the incident that happened last year in June near Balasore where a speeding Coromandel Express had collided with a stationary goods train, killing nearly 300 people.

The Railway Board Chairman admitted that the railways’ ‘Kavach’ or anti-train collision system was not in place along the Guwahati-Delhi route where the accident took place.