17 secs between life and death
About 2000 passengers of Pune-Jodhpur Express and Mehsana-Ahmedabad Passenger train had a narrow escape when the express loco pilot overlooked the red signal near Shahibaugh and created a near collision
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, July 02, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?page=article§id=2&contentid=20120702201207020253318001b951e3c)
A major collision between two trains was averted near Shahibaugh railway bridge last week, when the loco pilot of Pune-Jodhpur Express did not notice the red signal and missed hitting Mehsana-Ahmedabad Passenger by a whisker.
While the lapse, which could have played havoc with the lives of around 2000 passengers in both the trains, has left railways authorities red faced, it has raised serious questions over the tall claims of safety and high level of training being provided to drivers and other railways personnel in the Indian Railways. Though most of the passengers remained unaware of the close shave with death, highly placed officials admitted it was a major lapse and a rare escape for passengers when Pune-Jodhpur Express and Mehsana-Ahmedabad Passenger missed collision by a mere 17 seconds.
UNENVIABLE RECORD
There seemed nothing unusual about Wednesday morning. Having crossed on the broad gauge track through the S-F signals near Sabarmati a number of times in the past, the loco pilot (driver) of Pune-Jodhpur Express (No. 11090) Ashok Nehra and his assistant apparently thought it was yet another trip on the stretch. Neither of them realised when the engine pulling 20 coaches and around 1000 passengers had overshot the signal, which had already turned red. The signal had turned red to warn that the Mehsana-Ahmedabad Passenger train (No 52905) from a nearby meter gauge track was passing through the diamond crossing (the point where meter gauge and broad gauge crossed each other) barely a few hundred meters away.
It would have been too late for Nehra to apply break and bring express train to a halt. It was only sheer luck of the passengers that by the time the express train reached the crossing, the last coach of Mehsana Ahmedabad train had gone past. The collision was averted barely by 17 seconds, a record of sort which perhaps none of Nehra’s mates would ever dare to break!
“The driver who had overlooked the red signal, made no efforts to apply the break as he did not realise that Mehsana-Ahmedabad passenger train was crossing through the junction ahead. It was only a matter of chance that by the time the engine of the express train reached the junction, all the seven coaches of Mehsana Ahmedabad passenger train had gone past the crossing to reach the meter gauge track towards Ahmedabad,” said a highly placed official confirming the incident.
SPEED: 100 KM AN HOUR
Sources disclosed that data logger (through which the time and location of the train and the signals can be monitored and checked) has confirmed that the signal had turned red at 8.34 am and both the trains had passed through the diamond crossing at a gap of 17 seconds. The express train crossed the spot at a speed of almost 100 km an hour. While the Mehsana-Ahmedabad passenger train was at a speed of about 60 km an hour. “No doubt, the impact of collision at this speed could have resulted in a major tragedy,” sources revealed to Mirror.
When contacted, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Rakesh Behal however played down the issue, saying it was not a major incident involving serious consequences. “Since the driver was at fault, he has been placed under suspension. But the speed of trains on such stretches is generally under control,” he said.
However, Yogesh Mishra, Akhil Bharatiya Railways Upbhogta Sangh president, was not convinced. “It’s high time authorities started providing proper training to the drivers of engines. Passengers were lucky to have escaped the lapse, but all precautions need to be taken to avoid recurrence of such incidents,” he said.
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, July 02, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?page=article§id=2&contentid=20120702201207020253318001b951e3c)
A major collision between two trains was averted near Shahibaugh railway bridge last week, when the loco pilot of Pune-Jodhpur Express did not notice the red signal and missed hitting Mehsana-Ahmedabad Passenger by a whisker.
While the lapse, which could have played havoc with the lives of around 2000 passengers in both the trains, has left railways authorities red faced, it has raised serious questions over the tall claims of safety and high level of training being provided to drivers and other railways personnel in the Indian Railways. Though most of the passengers remained unaware of the close shave with death, highly placed officials admitted it was a major lapse and a rare escape for passengers when Pune-Jodhpur Express and Mehsana-Ahmedabad Passenger missed collision by a mere 17 seconds.
UNENVIABLE RECORD
There seemed nothing unusual about Wednesday morning. Having crossed on the broad gauge track through the S-F signals near Sabarmati a number of times in the past, the loco pilot (driver) of Pune-Jodhpur Express (No. 11090) Ashok Nehra and his assistant apparently thought it was yet another trip on the stretch. Neither of them realised when the engine pulling 20 coaches and around 1000 passengers had overshot the signal, which had already turned red. The signal had turned red to warn that the Mehsana-Ahmedabad Passenger train (No 52905) from a nearby meter gauge track was passing through the diamond crossing (the point where meter gauge and broad gauge crossed each other) barely a few hundred meters away.
It would have been too late for Nehra to apply break and bring express train to a halt. It was only sheer luck of the passengers that by the time the express train reached the crossing, the last coach of Mehsana Ahmedabad train had gone past. The collision was averted barely by 17 seconds, a record of sort which perhaps none of Nehra’s mates would ever dare to break!
“The driver who had overlooked the red signal, made no efforts to apply the break as he did not realise that Mehsana-Ahmedabad passenger train was crossing through the junction ahead. It was only a matter of chance that by the time the engine of the express train reached the junction, all the seven coaches of Mehsana Ahmedabad passenger train had gone past the crossing to reach the meter gauge track towards Ahmedabad,” said a highly placed official confirming the incident.
SPEED: 100 KM AN HOUR
Sources disclosed that data logger (through which the time and location of the train and the signals can be monitored and checked) has confirmed that the signal had turned red at 8.34 am and both the trains had passed through the diamond crossing at a gap of 17 seconds. The express train crossed the spot at a speed of almost 100 km an hour. While the Mehsana-Ahmedabad passenger train was at a speed of about 60 km an hour. “No doubt, the impact of collision at this speed could have resulted in a major tragedy,” sources revealed to Mirror.
When contacted, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Rakesh Behal however played down the issue, saying it was not a major incident involving serious consequences. “Since the driver was at fault, he has been placed under suspension. But the speed of trains on such stretches is generally under control,” he said.
However, Yogesh Mishra, Akhil Bharatiya Railways Upbhogta Sangh president, was not convinced. “It’s high time authorities started providing proper training to the drivers of engines. Passengers were lucky to have escaped the lapse, but all precautions need to be taken to avoid recurrence of such incidents,” he said.
