GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION (COMMISSION OF RAILWAY SAFETY) Office of the Commissioner of Railway Safety, th Eastern Circle, 14, Strand Road (12 Floor), Kolkata - 700001. No. MAC-232/11/44/H Dated: 28.06.2011 To The Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety, Ashok Marg, Lucknow - 226 001. Sir, Sub: Preliminary narrative report on “Derailment of Train Engine and Front Power Car of 12301 Up Howrah-New Delhi Rajdhani Express over point no. 51B at km 99/15-17 of Gangpur station over Howrah Division of Eastern Railway on 15.06.2011 at about 18.10 hrs.” INTRODUCTION 1.1 Preamble In accordance with Rule 3 of the “Statutory Investigation into Railway Accidents Rules, 1998” published by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, I hereby submit a brief Preliminary narrative Report of my Statutory Inquiry in respect of the Derailmentof Train Engine and Front Power Car of 12301 Up Howrah - New Delhi Rajdhani Express over point no. 51B at km 99/15-17 of Gangpur station over Howrah Division of Eastern Railway on 15.06.2011 at about 18.10 hrs. 1.2 Inspection and Inquiry – 1.2.1 While I was at Jamalpur on 15.6.2011 in connection with my programmed routine inspection of Jamalpur open line establishment followed by Jamalpur workshop, I received a call on my mobile phone at 19.13 hrs from CSO/E Rly stating that Train Engine and Front power car of 12301 Up HWH-NDLS Rajdhani Express got derailed at Gangpur station of Howrah division at about 18.00 hrs. He confirmed that there was no injury/casuality to any of the passengers or train crew. He further mentioned that the train had stopped at Home Signal of Gangpur station due to being red and was moving at slow speed after receiving T/369 (3b) memo. 1.2.2 As the Mobile Network was very feeble, I could not complete my talk and smsed following message to CSO/E Rly and DRM/HWH at about 20.10 hrs. “I intend to conduct inquiry into Rajdhani accident. Please ensure preservation of clues/evidence – CRS/EC”. 1.2.3 Thereafter, I smsed Sri A.K.De Dy CRS/S&T to proceed to the site of accident. He spoke to me at 20.27 hrs after receiving my message and proceeded first to the Howrah division control office to collect more details. 1.2.4 At 21.50 hrs, Sri A.K.De Dy CRS/S&T spoke to me from Howrah control office and gave me the details of the accident as well as status of restoration work. As the rerailment work had already been completed by that time, I advised him not to go to the site on that day instead to join me on 16.6.2011 morning during site inspection and inquiry. 1.2.5 I spoke to CPTM / E Rly at 20.57 hrs and requested him to make arrangement for movement of my Inspection Carriage to Kiul station and for attaching the IC ex Kiul in HWH bound 12352 Dn Danapur – Howrah Express. I left JMP station at 22.40 hrs on way to Kiul station. 1.2.6 At 22.15 hrs, I sent following message to CSO/E Rly in regard to my programme of site inspection and inquiry. q“I wish to inspect site tomorrow (16.6.2011) at 10 hrs. Inquiry on 16.6.2011 at Burdwan and on 17.6.2011 at Howrah. Pl arrange accordingly – CRS/EC”. 1.2.7 At 22.23 hrs, CSO/E Rly spoke to me and we discussed the details of the programme and officers required to be attending the site of accident and inquiry. I also requested him to arrange for Press Notification in regard to conduct of my statutory inquiry at Howrah on 17.6.2011. Regarding inquiry at BWN on 16.6.2011, wide publicity was given locally by pasting notices at vantage locations at BWN station. 1.2.8 CSO/E Rly was also advised to arrange for required witnesses and make other necessary arrangements to facilitate site inspection and enquiry. 1.2.9 Advice was also made to arrange written information to local DM and SP about the programme of my statutory enquiry and ensure presence of concerning HODs as well as DRM, Howrah with Branch officers during my site inspection and enquiry. 1.2.10 As advised, Railway arranged to publish Press Notification in local leading News papers ( in Bangla, English and Hindi ) about holding of my statutory inquiry at DRM/HWH’s Meeting room from 10.00 hours on 17.06.2011 inviting members of public having knowledge relating to the accident or matters connected therewith to tender evidence at the inquiry or to write to my office address at 14 Strand Road, 12th floor, Kolkata – 700 001. 1.2.11 I reached BWN in the early morning of 16.6.2011 by 12352 Dn Danapur –Howrah Express. CSO/ERly, DRM/HWH, HODs of ERly, Branch Officers of HWH division and Dy CRS(S&T) also arrived BWN in the morning and we proceeded to the site of accident by EMU Inspection coach leaving BWN at about 10.00 hrs. 1.2.12 After inspection of the site of accident and Gangpur Panel Cabin, We returned back to Burdwan by about 13.00 hrs and enquiry proceedings began. My enquiry on 16.6.2011 was assisted by following officers of Eastern Railway, besides i) Sri A.K.De, Dy CRS (S&T). ii) Sri D.N.Jha, CSO/ERly. iii) Sri P.Mondal, DRM/HWH. iv) Sri Manas Sarkar, CPDE/ERly. v) Sri S.Mukhopadhyay, CSE/ERly vi) Sri S.K.Singh, CELE/ERly 1.2.14 During my enquiry on 16.6.2011, requirements of various documents/evidences were explained to CSO, DRM, HODs and Branch officers. They were impressed upon to compile the same and submit by next day i.e. 17.6.2011. 05 railway staff had given their statement and all were interrogated. No member of public or any passenger attended the enquiry. There was no presence either from police side or from civil administration side. The enquiry continued till about 18.00 hrs and thereafter we returned to Howrah. 1.2.15 On 17.6.2011, the enquiry proceeding began at about 10.30 hrs in the Meeting room of Divisional office, HWH. During the enquiry, I was assisted by the same team of officers who were there yesterday. Besides, Sri U.K.Bal, CTPM/ERly also joined. 1.2.16 06 railway staff were interrogated. Their statements were also taken beforehand. Sri M.K.Upadhyay, ASM/GRP and Sri Amalesh Chattopadhyay, Dy CHC/HWH who was working as Section Controller on the HWH-BWN Chord line Board at the time of accident were confronted and cross examined. No member of public or any passenger appeared for deposition. There was no representative of police or civil administration attending the enquiry. Relevant documents/evidences/notes were collected from the concerning officers and the enquiry proceeding ended at 18.00 hrs. 1.2.17 Preservation of clues i) Senior Supervisors of Howrah division had prepared a jointly signed sketch of “the site of accident” depicting position of a) gaps between the toe of the tongue rail and stock rail, b) location of wheels of Train engine and front power car after derailment. ii) Print outs of Speed Recorder chart of the locomotive and of the Data Logger of Gangpur station were made available. iii) Voice logger of Sectional Controller was played before me and a CD was supplied. iv) The site of accident was photographed. 1.3 Description of “The Accident” 1.3.1 12301 Up Howrah-New Delhi Rajdhani Express consisting of 21LHB coaches worked by electric Loco no. 30285 WAP7 of Electric Loco shed, Gaziabad Northern Railway under the charge of Sri E.P.Toppo, Loco pilot (Mail/Express) and Sri S.Oroan, Co-Loco pilot (Mail/Exp), both headquartered at Dhanbad and Guard, Sri U.K.Chakraborty HQ/HWH left Howrah station right time at 16.55 hrs on 15.6.2011 passed Shaktigarh station ( the station before Gangpur) at 17.50 hrs when the onduty ASM/SKG informed the Loco pilot over VHF sets that his train would be received on calling on signal at Gangpur as Home Signal of Gangpur had failed. The train stopped at Gangpur Home Signal which was red, at 17.52 hrs and the loco pilot was served with T-369 (3b) memo by porter for Gangpur Home Signal at 18.07. On showing green Hand Signal by porter, the train started and while passing point no. 51B at a speed of about 6 kmph, the Loco pilot felt a sudden jerk. He immediately applied brake and the train stopped at 18.11 hrs. He noted that all the 06 wheels of front trolley of the loco were on rail where as all the 06 wheels of the rear trolley had derailed. All 04 wheels of the front bogie of the power car (1st from Train engine) had also derailed, its rear bogie wheels were on the track. 1.3.2 The nature of weather – The weather at the time of accident was rainy. Being evening time, the visibility was reported to be impaired. Casualties – There was no casuality or injury to any of the passenger or train crew/ other railway staff due to the accident. 1.3.4 Passenger occupancy – There were 17 passenger coaching vehicle (PCV) in the train with total occupancy of 947 passengers.