Train Movement Starts At Section Affected By Odisha Rail Crash Within 51 Hours Of Accident

The first train of the Indian Railways passed through one of the tracks on the section where the accident happened in Odisha's Balasore district on Friday evening. The goods train was seen off by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw along with railway officials and moved on the down-line near the Bahanagar Bazar station where the disaster took place. It was on one these loop lines that one of the deadliest crashes in the Railway history took place killing 275 people and injuring 1175 people passengers. The goods train journey started at around 10.40 pm on Sunday, 51 hours after the horrific crash.

The train carrying coal is headed towards Rourkela Steel plant from Vizag port and is running on the same track where the ill-fated Bangalore-Howrah train met with the tragedy on Friday. The Howrah-bound train crashed with the capsized bogies of the Coromandel Express, which had collided with a stationary freight train seconds earlier. "Down-line restoration complete. First train movement in section," tweeted Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Down-line restoration complete. First train movement in section. pic.twitter.com/cXy3jUOJQ2

— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) June 4, 2023

CBI Probe Recommended

The Railway Board has recommended a CBI probe into the Balasore train crash, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said. In a recently given interview, the Railway Minister said that looking at all the circumstances related to the massive triple train crash in Odisha, the board has recommended a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The Indian railways on Sunday virtually ruled out driver error and system malfunction, indicating a possible "sabotage" and tampering of the electronic interlocking system behind the triple train accident.

Sabotage Feared

As per the preliminary investigation, due to a change made in the electronic interlocking and point machine, the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandal Express entered the up loop line speeding at 128 kmph and rear ended on a goods train carrying iron ore near the Bahanaga Bazaar Railway station at around 18.55 Hrs on Friday. The impact was so severe that 4-coaches of the Coromandal Express derailed and spilled on the adjacent track.