The Indian Railways is installing cameras in locomotive cabins and coaches in passenger trains of the South Eastern Central Railway (SECR), after a recent collision between two trains reinforced the need for such a measure, officials said.
This comes as the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) continued its investigations and recorded statements of 19 railway employees, who were asked to appear with the documents.
A collision between a stationary goods train and a passenger electric multiple unit (MEMU) earlier this week killed 11 people and injured 20 others. The collision caused a section of the passenger train to collide with the goods train.
A railway official from SECR confirmed that CCTV cameras will be installed in taxis and buses and that “work has already begun”.
A preliminary SECR report blamed the accident on the train crew, saying they “failed to take control of the train at the danger signal” and were responsible for not “taking control of the train in a timely manner and position prior to the danger signal and the SPAD event committed.” A “SPAD condition” refers to a “Signal Passed at Danger” event, when a train passes a stop signal without authority.
A senior Bilaspur police officer said that CCTV cameras would have made it easier to determine the cause of the accident.
Speaking about 53-year-old soaring pilot, Vidya Sagar, who died in the accident, the official said: “Sagar was an experienced soaring pilot with around two decades of experience.”
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CRS, an independent body under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, will also record the statement of local co-pilot Rashmi Raj, who is undergoing treatment for her injuries.
According to railway sources, this is the second major train tragedy in Bilaspur district since 1997, when five coaches of the Ahmedabad-Howrah express fell into the river, killing 81 people.
It is worth noting that the central government installed surveillance cameras in locomotives and buses in July this year. This step, according to the railways, aims to improve passenger safety.
(Tags for translation) Indian Railways
