Sealdah Rail Division Retracts Controversial Order Following Fatal Accident

The Sealdah Rail Division retracted an order suspending the issuance of T/A 912, a written authority permitting train drivers to cross red signals during signal failures, following a fatal accident. Ten people died and 40 were injured in the collision between a goods train and Kanchanjunga Express due to a failed signalling system.

The Sealdah Rail Division has rescinded its controversial order that suspended the issuance of T/A 912, a critical written authority letter. The letter permits train drivers to proceed through red signals when automatic signal systems malfunction.

Issued on Thursday evening, the new circular noted that the previous directive had been released in error and was promptly withdrawn. The now-retracted order had mandated the suspension of T/A 912 until further notice, following a high-level meeting among senior railway officials. The order was discovered on Thursday morning and explicitly demanded strict adherence, warning against any violations.

The controversy garnered attention after it was revealed that the goods train driver involved in the recent accident, which resulted in ten fatalities and 40 injuries, had been permitted to bypass defective signals with a T/A 912. The collision occurred near New Jalpaiguri when the goods train struck the stationary Kanchanjunga Express due to a failed signalling system.

Initial investigations pointed to a signal failure, prompting the station master to issue T/A 912 to drivers between Ranipatra (RNI) and Chattar Hat (CAT). Conflicting statements arose post-accident, with the Railway Board and loco pilots' unions offering different interpretations of the driver's responsibilities under T/A 912.

According to Sanjay Pandhi, president of the Indian Railway Loco Runningmen Organisation (IRLRO), T/A 912 is issued only when tracks are clear, and drivers adhere to normal speeds as per railway norms.