Sun Oct 13 04:02:27 UTC 2024: ## Tamil Nadu Train Accident: Data Logger Video Raises Concerns About Signal Failure
A day after a passenger train collided with a stationary freight train in Tamil Nadu, experts have raised concerns about a potential signal failure, citing data logger footage. The Mysuru-Darbhanga Bagmati Express, carrying 19 injured passengers, veered onto a loop line already occupied by the freight train at Kavaraippettai station on October 11th.
The data logger video, shared among senior railway officials, shows the passenger train receiving a green signal for the main line before inexplicably entering the loop line. This has prompted comparisons to the Balasore train collision in June 2023, where a similar signal failure led to a fatal accident.
While the Southern Railway CPRO denied knowledge of the video, the Railway Board acknowledged that the passenger train received a green signal before experiencing a jerk and entering the loop line. A high-level inquiry has been initiated.
Experts, including a retired chief signal and telecom engineer, have highlighted a possible engineering defect in the tracks and interlocking mechanisms as the culprit. The data logger footage, showing the train operating on both the main line and loop line simultaneously, supports this theory.
While a thorough investigation is underway, the incident has raised serious questions about the reliability of railway signaling systems. The restoration work at the accident site is progressing slowly due to heavy rain, and railway officials anticipate a 16-hour delay in resuming train services.
First Piper 