Faulty Braking System Caused Kolkata-Sairang Express Derailment in Assam, Probe Finds

A preliminary investigation into the recent derailment of the Kolkata-Sairang Express in Assam points to a malfunctioning main braking system as the primary cause of the accident.

The Probe Findings

A six-member probe team discovered that the BP angle cock, which is the system responsible for applying brakes in the train coaches, was in an isolated condition in the locomotive. The joint note prepared by the team on the day of the accident states that brakes could not be applied because this angle cock was left in a closed position. The train was approaching Digaru Railway Station on November 11 when the crew failed to stop it, causing it to overshoot a red signal and hit a dead end after derailing.

Sequence of Events

Earlier that morning at 6.16 am, the train had stopped at Panbari station because the wheels of one coach overheated due to jammed brake pads. The crew spent about thirty minutes fixing this issue before the train left the station at 6.46 am. When the station master at Digaru asked the train to enter a loop line to let another train pass, the crew tried to use the main brakes, but they did not work.

Crew and Expert Statements

The loco pilot, assistant loco pilot, and guard all stated that the brakes worked fine when they took charge at Guwahati at 5.30 am. The official probe report does not name who turned off the braking system or if safety checks were missed. However, railway advisories suggest that railway staff might have closed the angle cock while dealing with the jammed brake pads at Panbari and simply forgot to open it again before the journey resumed.

Context

Train braking systems require multiple manual and automatic checks before every journey to ensure passenger safety. When a critical valve like an angle cock remains closed, standard air pressure cannot reach the brakes to slow down or stop the train.