New Delhi: Railway Board Chairman and CEO Satish Kumar recently held a meeting with senior officials of different rail divisions through video-conferencing (VC) and flagged several issues including derailments of four freight and two passenger trains in January this year. Kumar suggested several corrective measures such as counselling of ground staff, regular inspection of coaches and wagons along with periodic safety drives by respective rail divisions where such incidents occurred, railway sources said.
They added that on February 15, Kumar held a VC meeting in which issues such as negligence during shunting of trains, inspection of points and crossings, reliability of ultrasonic flaw-detection of tracks, and proper availability of drinking water and washrooms among others were discussed in detail.
"The chairman emphasised the issues related to operational safety and took a serious view of the derailments of freight and passenger trains in January 2025. He looked into the causes of all the derailments and suggested necessary steps," a senior official from one of the rail divisions said.
On January 2, a passenger coach of a train derailed in the Saharsa rail yard due to an entangled buffer. During the discussion, regular inspection of coaches and safety drives was suggested to prevent such incidents.
A goods train derailed in the Ferozepur division on January 9 as the staff started it without removing the wooden wedge used to stabilise the engine. In the third incident, on January 10, a freight train came off the track in the Bhopal division.
Kumar suggested proper counselling and implementation of shunting guidelines to stop the recurrence of such incidents, the sources said.
Another incident occurred on January 14 in the Villupuram yard of the Tiruchirappalli division where a coach wheel of a MEMU (Mainline Electric Multiple Unit) train bound for Puducherry derailed. Officials said the incident happened due to a technical flaw called 'spring grouping/defect' for which necessary action was suggested.
Kumar noted that the derailment of a freight train on January 18 in the Howrah division occurred due to a hot axle and it was urged to get passenger and goods trains checked through Hot Axle Box Detector.
Officials said the Kharagpur division was asked to take necessary action as an empty passenger coach of a train derailed on January 26 due to mishandling.
Though none of these incidents caused any injury to any passenger or railway staff, they caused financial to the railways as well as time loss.
Officials who were part of the meeting said Kumar also expressed senior concerns over the rising cases of red light overshoot [signal passed at danger SPAD)] by loco-pilots. They discussed a SPAD case of the Danapur division on January 10 in which the loco pilot could not stop the train before the red signal.
"In the coming days, senior officials from various divisions will act on his suggestions and ensure that no such incident is repeated," an official said.
Trump-Modi Meet
The mega MIGA, MAGA plans of India's Modi and US' Trump
Trump says India has more tariffs than others
Trump's 'golden rule' for imposing reciprocal tariffs
"The chairman emphasised the issues related to operational safety and took a serious view of the derailments of freight and passenger trains in January 2025. He looked into the causes of all the derailments and suggested necessary steps," a senior official from one of the rail divisions said.
On January 2, a passenger coach of a train derailed in the Saharsa rail yard due to an entangled buffer. During the discussion, regular inspection of coaches and safety drives was suggested to prevent such incidents.
A goods train derailed in the Ferozepur division on January 9 as the staff started it without removing the wooden wedge used to stabilise the engine. In the third incident, on January 10, a freight train came off the track in the Bhopal division.
Kumar suggested proper counselling and implementation of shunting guidelines to stop the recurrence of such incidents, the sources said.
Another incident occurred on January 14 in the Villupuram yard of the Tiruchirappalli division where a coach wheel of a MEMU (Mainline Electric Multiple Unit) train bound for Puducherry derailed. Officials said the incident happened due to a technical flaw called 'spring grouping/defect' for which necessary action was suggested.
Kumar noted that the derailment of a freight train on January 18 in the Howrah division occurred due to a hot axle and it was urged to get passenger and goods trains checked through Hot Axle Box Detector.
Officials said the Kharagpur division was asked to take necessary action as an empty passenger coach of a train derailed on January 26 due to mishandling.
Though none of these incidents caused any injury to any passenger or railway staff, they caused financial to the railways as well as time loss.
Officials who were part of the meeting said Kumar also expressed senior concerns over the rising cases of red light overshoot [signal passed at danger SPAD)] by loco-pilots. They discussed a SPAD case of the Danapur division on January 10 in which the loco pilot could not stop the train before the red signal.
"In the coming days, senior officials from various divisions will act on his suggestions and ensure that no such incident is repeated," an official said.
