Andhra Pradesh train crash | Despite safety advisory, railways failed to install voice recording facility

A crucial evidence to ascertain the reasons that led to the devastating collision between two passenger trains which left 17 people dead near Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh in 2023 has been lost, official sources said.

A crucial evidence to ascertain the reasons that led to the devastating collision between two passenger trains which left 17 people dead near Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh in 2023 has been lost since a safety advisory to install voice recording facility at railway stations was ignored, official sources said on Tuesday.

The accident pertains to the rear-end collision of Train No 08504 Visakhapatnam-Rayagada Passenger with Train No 08532 Visakhapatnam-Palasa Passenger between Kantakapalle and Alamanda railway stations in the Waltair Division of East Coast Railway on October 29, 2023.

In the statutory investigation into the circumstances that led to the tragic collision, Commissioner of Railway Safety Pranjeev Saxena has said that the Loco Pilot of Train No 08504 Visakhapatnam-Rayagada passenger train was reluctant to cross the signal in danger. The Station Superintendent of the Kantakapalle railway station issued a Private Number (a secret code) authorising him to cross the signal in red.

“The role of the Train Manager [Guard] is suspect as he is the only surviving crew member who could have acted in time to prevent the mishap...TMR has sufficient reasons not to disclose full facts as they may implicate him and the Station Superintendent of Kantakapalle,” he said.

With the written record or Train Journal of the TMR reported “lost” in the accident and the Station Superintendent overwriting in the Private Number book, the “absence of audio recording of conversation on walkie-talkie makes this inconclusive,” Mr. Saxena said in his report submitted to the Railway Board.

After the final report recommended that the “Recording of conversations made by Station Masters through walkie-talkie (VHF sets) shall be ensured by providing VHF receiver-cum-recorder in datalogger rooms”, the Railway Board has directed General Managers of Zonal Railways to install the equipment.

The Railway Board has only reiterated its earlier instruction. On September 13, 2021, a specific advisory was issued to General Managers of Zonal Railways to install a facility to record the conversations taking place between the Station Masters and Loco Pilots/Train Managers through wireless communication in the radio coverage area of the station.