Before Kanchanjunga Express: Major train accidents of the last decade

Several train accidents have occurred in India over the last decade for multiple reasons, ranging from mechanical failures to human negligence. Here is a look at some major instances, their causes and what the authorities said.

1. Gorakhdham Express in 2014

On May 26, 2014, the Gorakhdham Express on the Hisar-Gorakhpur route was passing through a double-line section in Uttar Pradesh, when its locomotive derailed along with 11 coaches.

Manoj Sinha, then Minister of State for Railways, said in a response in the Lok Sabha that the locomotive then swerved to the left and rear-ended a stationary goods train on an adjacent loop line at the Chureb station. The cause of the accident was deemed to be a “fracture of tongue rail”, which helps trains smoothly switch their path to another railway line, and it was classified as “Failure of Equipment”.

A government report from the Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) noted in 2016, “Analysis of rail/welf failures leaves a lot to be desired. These failures are treated mainly as statistical data. It is necessary that each failure is properly investigated…” At least 29 passengers lost their lives, with more than 70 people sustaining injuries.

2. Janata Express in 2015

The Varanasi-Dehradun Janata Express failed to stop at a station in Uttar Pradesh, leading to a crash and derailment of some coaches on March 20, 2015. “While the train was entering Bachhrawan station, the loco pilot of the train overshot the signal and crashed into the sand hump, causing derailment of the train engine and two coaches,” a Railways spokesperson said at the time.

A later inquiry said braking failure resulted in the accident. The CRS recommendations included “strict implementation of proper system of break power certification, revalidation and break continuity test in the field that the safety of the trains is not compromised.” Around 39 passengers were killed and 150 people were injured.

3. Indore-Patna Express in 2016

On November 20, 2016, 14 coaches of the Indore-Patna Express derailed in the Pukhrayan area of the Kanpur Dehat district. The accident claimed 152 lives – one of the biggest death tolls for railway accidents in recent years.

The probe for the incident was handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), amid suspicions raised by the government, attributing the accident to terrorist sabotage. Then Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said there was “possible criminal interference by outsiders”. At an election rally in Uttar Pradesh in 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also called it a “conspiracy”.

However, in 2020, the final CRS report cited a sudden catastrophic mechanical failure as the “probable cause”. It said that a part of the welding on a coach gave way due to corrosion, fell off, and got “embedded” in the track, creating an obstruction. Two coaches “took off” from the track and fell on a third coach at great speed.

4. Hirakhand Express in 2017

On January 21, 2017, the Jagdalpur-Bhubaneswar Hirakhand Express derailed at the Kuneru station in Andhra Pradesh. The Odisha-bound train’s mishap led to the deaths of 40 people and injuries to more than 50.

A case was registered and eventually transferred to the Crime Investigation Department (CID) in Andhra Pradesh. An NIA FIR was also lodged. But in July 2017, the theory that Maoists in the region had planted explosives was largely ruled out. The final reports have not been released so far in the Indore-Patna Express and Hirakhand Express cases.

5. Jalandhar-Amritsar DMU, Amritsar-Howrah Express in 2018

Nearly 60 people were killed and several injured after two trains mowed down the people who stood on the railway tracks near Amritsar on October 19, 2018, to see Dussehra celebrations nearby. A crowd of around 300 people had gathered to watch the fireworks when the Jalandhar-Amritsar DMU came on the tracks.

Some people then attempted to stand on another set of tracks, which is when the Amritsar-Howrah Express arrived and passed through the crowd from the opposite direction. Then Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh ordered a magisterial inquiry. It reportedly blamed multiple actors – the people present, the Municipal Corporation of Amritsar, politicians involved in the event, police and the railways.

While the Indian Railways earlier said the incident was not a “train accident” but a case of “trespassing” and therefore did not qualify for an independent statutory probe, it later announced an investigation by the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety (CCRS).

Then Minister of State Manoj Sinha said in response to a question in the Lok Sabha: “According to the CCRS preliminary enquiry report, the incident occurred due to negligence of persons reportedly standing on and near railway track witnessing Dusshera Mela.”

6. Seemanchal Express in 2019

Seven people died and several others were injured after a rail fracture led to the derailment of bogies of the Delhi-bound Seemanchal Express in Bihar’s Vaishali district on February 3, 2019. Nine train coaches derailed near the Sahdei-Buzurg railway station.

A fracture in the rail tracks can be caused due to fatigue, wear and tear, lack of proper maintenance, corrosion, etc.

7. Freight train leads to deaths of 16 migrant workers near Aurangabad, 2020

An empty freight train, going from Cherlapally Station near Hyderabad to the Panewadi Station in Nashik, accidentally mowed down 16 workers who were sleeping on the tracks on May 8, 2020. The loco pilot reportedly spotted the workers but failed to stop the train in time.

The migrant workers from Madhya Pradesh were attempting to travel back home amid the coronavirus pandemic, which resulted in lockdowns and income loss for many daily wage labourers. They had likely collapsed due to exhaustion and slept on the train tracks.

While the Railways has offered payments on humanitarian grounds in some cases of runovers earlier, even though it defines runovers as “trespassing”, it did not do so here. A preliminary inquiry by the CRS later blamed the workers for “negligence”. It also ruled out any lapse on the part of the rail staff.

No major cases of train accidents were reported in 2021, which was a Covid year. All passenger trains were suspended from March 22, 2020, due to lockdown. There was a partial resumption from May 2020. “The year 2021-22 was also affected by COVID-19 pandemic but unlike previous year there was no complete lockdown,” according to the annual CRS report.

8. Bikaner-Guwahati Express in 2022

On January 13, 2022, 10 passengers were killed and more than 40 injured after 12 coaches of the Bikaner-Guwahati Express derailed in the Domohani area of West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district.

According to the CRS, the cause of the derailment was “Failure of equipment (locomotive)”.

9. Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express, Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express and goods train in 2023

A triple-train collision resulted in one of the worst railway accidents in India, leading to the deaths of at least 293 people on June 2, 2023.

The accident occurred when the Chennai-bound Coromandel Express entered the loop line and rammed into a stationary goods train in Balasore, Odisha. A few coaches of Yesvantpur Superfast Express, headed toward Howrah, derailed after crashing into the capsized coaches of the Coromandel Express that were lying scattered on the adjacent track.

In July 2023, the Railways authorities suspended seven employees, including three arrested earlier by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), on charges of alleged negligence of duty. The CRS report found “lapses at multiple levels”. It said that the tragedy could have been averted if past red flags were not ignored. The CBI also filed a chargesheet in September of that year.