Rail services restored at Kantakapalli, Andhra Pradesh

Visakhapatnam: The Railways restored the services in Kantakapalli-Alamanda section of Vizianagaram district on Monday, where the Rayagada passenger rammed into the Palasa passenger train, killing 14 passengers and injuring over 50 on Sunday evening.

A goods train passed through the down line, at 2.23 pm. The first passenger train on the up line was the 18463 Bhubaneswar-KSR Bengaluru Prashanti Express, after 2.36 pm, a release from the Waltair Division of East Coast Railway said.

The Rayagada Passenger train hit the Visakhapatnam-Palasa train from behind at 7 pm on October 29 on the Howrah-Chennai line in Kantakapalli. The accident disrupted the running of services since Sunday. Some 47 trains were cancelled, 24 trains diverted, 8 trains short-terminated and 8 trains rescheduled.

A preliminary railway probe into the accident in Vizianagaram district has held the driver and the assistant driver of Rayagada Passenger train responsible for the collision. This train passed two defective auto signals by violating norms. Both crew members were killed in the accident.

Divisional railway manager Saurabh Prasad led the rescue operations. The local



administration, as well as the NDRF teams provided assistance in the rescue and restoration efforts.

ECoR general manager (DRM) Manoj Sharma extended  his support to the track restoration activities. More than 1,000 workers, staff and supervisors from various departments worked on mission mode to restore the train services.

The DRM said it was too early on his part to cite any reason for the mishap. The commissioner of safety would begin an inquiry from Nov 2 in Visakhapatnam, he said. "We have seized the speedometer charts, signals etc for the inquiry,’’ he told.

The preliminary report from Delhi said, "The Rayagada passenger train hit the Visakhapatnam- Palasa passenger train from the rear after the crew of the Rayagada passenger passed two defective auto signals. Hence, LP (loco pilot), SMS Rao, ALP (assistant loco pilot) of the train are held responsible."

As per railway norm, a train should have stopped for two minutes at the defective auto signals and then started at 10 kmph; which did not happen in the present case, leading to the collision.