ECR Halts T/A 912 Post Kanchanjunga Tragedy

The East Central Railway has suspended issuing T/A 912 post the Kanchanjunga Express-goods train collision that killed 10. Drivers will follow G&SR 9.02 during signal failure, halting for a minute in the day and two at night, then proceeding at reduced speeds. Similar directives were issued and revoked by the Eastern Railway Zone.

The East Central Railway (ECR) has suspended the issuance of the T/A 912 written authority letter, following the tragic collision between the Kanchanjunga Express and a goods train. This move comes in light of a safety meeting where ECR officials sought to prevent such accidents in the future.

The disastrous train collision, which occurred on June 17 in West Bengal's Darjeeling District, was attributed to a defective automatic signalling system. Both train drivers had been issued the controversial T/A 912 note, allowing them to proceed despite the signal failure. The Railway Board initially blamed overspeeding by the goods train driver, though driver unions refuted this, citing a lack of speed restrictions on the note.

To ensure safety, ECR will now implement G&SR 9.02 during signal failures. This regulation requires train drivers to stop at each red signal for one minute during the day and two minutes at night, before proceeding at significantly reduced speeds. Similar measures were briefly adopted and then rescinded by the Eastern Railway Zone earlier this month. The conflicting directives have highlighted a need for clearer, more consistent safety protocols across railway zones.