Hours after Andhra accident, affected lines restored, train services resume

According to the Railways, 13 people died and more than 50 were injured when the Visakhapatnam-Rayagada Passenger special train hit the Visakhapatnam-Palasa Passenger Express from the rear at around 7.10 pm on Sunday, leading to the derailment of multiple coaches. The collision took place between Kantakapalle and Alamanda railway stations.

“Both the up and down lines of the track have been made fit in terms of engineering (track repair work) and OHE (electrical work). A goods train was allowed to run on the down line while the Bengaluru-bound Prashanti Express passed through the accident-affected line. We hope train services will get normalised gradually,” said Biswajit Sahu, chief public relations officer (CPRO), East Coast Railway.

More than 800 people were engaged in the restoration work, Sahu said, adding that they worked with equipment including eight Poclain machines and one 140-tonne crane. Rescue teams from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh helped the NDRF in the rescue and restoration efforts.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) has reached the accident site and started an investigation into the incident.

Based on preliminary inquiry, top Railways officials said the driver of the Rayagada-bound train that collided from the rear had missed the signal. Officials called it “human error”.

Expressing concern over the occurrence of train collisions, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to constitute a high-level committee to thoroughly examine the different aspects related to the incidents.

In a post on X, Reddy said, “A running train collided with another…both of which were running in the same direction. This horrifying accident gives rise to certain obvious questions: 1. Why did the braking system and the alert system not function? 2. Why did the signalling fail? 3. How did the communications system fail?”