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 ACCIDENT AT VYASARPADI JEEVA STATION
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S.ravi
Advanced Member


India
4205 Posts

Posted - 04/29/2009 :  09:54:55  Show Profile Send S.ravi a Private Message  Reply with Quote
SOUTHERN RAILWAY
PRESS RELEASE
PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE, Chennai - 600 003
No.17/2009-2010 Dt.29-04-2009
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


ACCIDENT AT VYASARPADI JEEVA STATION










The accident occurred at about 05.00 hrs. at Vyasarpadi between empty suburban rake and a goods train. The empty rake was started from Moore Market Complex by unauthorized miscreants. Four persons have died of which one person has been identified as M. Mohan Raj, No 6/11, Vellalar Street, Nandavana, Mettur of Avadi, Chennai, photograph enclosed. In addition, eleven persons are injured of whom five are grievious injuries and six are simple injuries. Further more, of these eleven persons injured, five persons were injured in the train while the remaining were injured while standing near the platform. The injured are being treated in Railway Hospital, Perambur and Government Hospital. An enquiry to establish further details regarding the accident has been ordered.










On account of this accident, traffic has been affected between Chennai Central and Arakkonam. Details of outgoing trains rescheduled and termination of incoming trains short of Chennai Central have already been given in the earlier press release. Passengers can get additional information from the helpline numbers 044-25357386, 044-25357389, 044-25346031 and 044-25347277.











for Chief Public Relations Officer


S.ravi
Advanced Member



India
4205 Posts

Posted - 04/29/2009 :  12:39:40  Show Profile Send S.ravi a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Chennai Train Accident: Lalu Prasad Orders Probe

http://www.mypopkorn.com/news/chennai-train-accident-lalu-prasad-orders-probe.html

Apr 29, 2009: Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav said a probe would be conducted into the collision of a passenger train and a goods train that killed four people and injured 11 others in Chennai on Wednesday.

The accident took place at Vyasarpadi railway station after an unknown person drove the empty passenger train which collided with the goods train.

The passenger train was scheduled to depart from Chennai station at 0515 hrs but started its journey at 0450 hrs and skipped three halts on its way.

Meanwhile, a special team was sent from Bangalore to probe the mishap and efforts were on to restore rail traffic.

Background

Earlier, in July 2008, 32 passengers, including a pregnant woman were charred to death when fire broke out in the Kakinada-bound Gautami Express in Warangal
district of Andhra Pradesh.



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S.ravi
Advanced Member



India
4205 Posts

Posted - 04/29/2009 :  12:43:01  Show Profile Send S.ravi a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Who rode the train to collision?
http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?a=je3q43eijjb&title=Who_rode_the_train_to_collision&?vsv=TopHP1

2009-04-29 16:13:20

Chennai: At least four people were killed when an empty train driven by an unidentified person took off from Chennai's main railway station without permission and collided with a stationary train within minutes early Wednesday.

Railway officials admitted they were puzzled about who drove the passenger train much before its scheduled departure from Chennai Central station. The accident took place at the Vyasarpadi Jeeva railway station, on Chennai's outskirts.

Officials identified one of the dead as M. Mohan Raj.

S. Jayanth, acting general manager of Southern Railway, admitted that the rogue train shot off minus its designated crew and that an investigation was on.

'It is not clear who operated (it),' he said, adding that the speeding train breached the signals and travelled on the wrong track before ramming into the freight train.

The stationary train's stunned motorman, assistant and guard jumped out to save themselves and suffered multiple fractures. They were among the 11 people who were injured and shifted to a hospital in Chennai

The collision was so devastating that platforms at the Vyasarpadi Jeeva station were rendered almost unusable. Overhead electric cables supplying power to trains were torn off their poles and tractions.

Many of the train coaches were twisted and mangled because of the impact of the violent crash.

All local and long distance trains coming from Arakkonam, over 30 km north of Chennai, towards the Tamil Nadu capital were stopped.

Hundreds of people rushed to the site on hearing of the accident.

'We heard a loud noise and saw several compartments in flames. The smell emanating from bodies from the mangled coaches was nauseating,' said M.N. Selvi, who lives close to the railway tracks.

Railway workers used flames to cut open the twisted train cars.

Police sources said S. Karunanidhi, the motorman of the rogue train, was being questioned. The railways have announced compensation of Rs.15,000 to the kin of each of the dead.

In Patna, Railways Minister Lalu Prasad said an inquiry would be conducted into the incident.





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S.ravi
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India
4205 Posts

Posted - 04/29/2009 :  12:46:55  Show Profile Send S.ravi a Private Message  Reply with Quote

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/mystery-runaway-train-rams-another-in-chennai-6-killed/91336-3.html

Wed, Apr 29, 2009 at 11:28

Chennai: In a mysterious accident, an unspecified number of persons took over a suburban electric train, drove it for about seven kms at high speed before colliding with a goods train head on, killing four persons and injuring 11 others early this morning.

The Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) train was taken out of the Central station in Chennai from the suburban Moore Market complex at around 4.50 am, half an hour before schedule.

As the Chennai-Tiruvallur EMU train started moving, some waiting commuters boarded it thinking it was a regular service.

The train was driven at high speed, jumping the signal at the next station going on a wrong track before colliding head-on with a Chennai-bound goods train at Vyasarpadi Jeeva station in the north western suburb, two halts from Central, in the Chennai-Arakkonam section.

Two EMU compartments were destroyed in the fire caused by the collision and rest were thrown off the tracks.

Acting General Manager of Southern Railway M S Jayanth said four persons were killed, but Railway police sources put the figure of the dead at six.

While the exact number of those in the driver's cabin was not not known, Jayanth said. It was the handiwork of "some knowledgeable miscreants" who had driven the train since it involved operation of four keys, including panel, brake, reversal, he added.

"It is a high-tech machine," Jayant said but ruled out involvement of a railway driver or other officials. The identity of the miscreants was not not known, he said. The Commissioner of Railway Safety would hold an inquiry.

The train, which should have taken eight minutes to reach Vyasarpadi, reached the station in four minutes, he said adding it indicated the dangerous speed in which it was going.

The bodies, including that of the man who drove the train, were pulled out of badly-mangled cabin two coaches of the EMU train, officials said adding three of them had been identified.

Five of the 11 injured have suffered grievous injuries.

The injured included two drivers of the goods train, who jumped out on seeing the EMU train coming on the same track. The injured had been admitted to hospitals, where the condition of five was stated to be serious.

The collision crippled train services in the busy route to Bangalore and western parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Six long-distance express trains bound for various destinations were cancelled while nine trains were partially cancelled.

The General Manager said complete normalcy in the section is likely to be restored only tomorrow.

The train was operated on a wrong track, leading to the collision with the goods train carrying some empty tankers, Southern Railways spokesperson Neenu Itterah told PTI.

The reason for the accident would be known only after an enquiry, she said.

Vinodh, who lives in the Vysarpadi area, said he heard a loud noise and rushed to the spot and rescued some of the injured before railway officials reached the spot.






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S.ravi
Advanced Member



India
4205 Posts

Posted - 04/30/2009 :  09:51:53  Show Profile Send S.ravi a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Elite police team to probe Chennai train collision
http://news.webindia123.com/news/ar_showdetails.asp?id=904300631&cat=&n_date=20090430

Chennai |Thursday, 2009 4:05:06 PM IST

The elite Crime Branch Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) of the Tamil Nadu police will probe Wednesday's train collision in a Chennai suburb that claimed four lives, officials said Thursday.

Additional Director General of Police Archana Ramasundaram said a special team had been formed to investigate the matter.

"All angles, including mischief and sabotage, will be probed," Ramasundaram told IANS.

The state government had ordered the CB-CID to investigate the incident late Wednesday.

Four people were killed and 11 injured when an empty train driven by an unidentified person took off from Chennai's main railway station without permission and collided with a stationary train at Vyasarpadi Jeeva station within minutes early Wednesday.

The collision was so devastating that platforms at the Vyasarpadi Jeeva station were rendered almost unusable. Overhead electric cables supplying power to trains were torn off their poles and tractions.

Many of the train coaches were twisted and mangled because of the impact of the violent crash.






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S.ravi
Advanced Member



India
4205 Posts

Posted - 04/30/2009 :  09:53:43  Show Profile Send S.ravi a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Train mishap: Five police teams formed
http://news.webindia123.com/news/ar_showdetails.asp?id=904300588&cat=&n_date=20090430

Chennai | Thursday, Apr 30 2009

Five special police teams were formed today to unravel the mystery behind yesterday's ''hijacking'' of an EMU by a miscreant and the subsequent collision with a goods train in the city that left four people dead and 11 injured. The special teams, comprising five police personnel per team, were formed this morning after Tamil Nadu Director General of Police K P Jain transferred investigation of the case from the Government Railway Police (GRP) to the Crime
Branch-CID (CB-CID) last night.

Police and railway officials were still puzzled over the identity of the mysterious person, who ''hijacked'' the train, as the identity of three of the four victims were established.

Those identified were Mohan Raj of Avadi, Joseph Anthony Raj of Villivakkam and Arokyanathan of Yercaud in Salem.

One version was that the fourth person might be the one who had driven the train. However, according to another version, since nobody was found in the driver's cabin, the ''hijacker'' might have jumped out before the EMU collided with the stationary goods train at the Vyasarpadi-Jeeva Railway station.

Leaving no stone unturned, the special teams, headed by CB-CID DIG S N Seshasai, Superintendent of Police Arun and DSP Shajahan began its probe on all possible angles, including that of sabotage.





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S.ravi
Advanced Member



India
4205 Posts

Posted - 04/30/2009 :  19:59:43  Show Profile Send S.ravi a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Hijacker had knowledge of working of EMU
CHENNAI: Railway officials here are baffled by the way the EMU was hijacked from the Moore Market Complex on Wednesday morning and strongly suspect that the hijacker should have had a fair knowledge of the working of an EMU. According to a senior official of Southern Railway, the entire train operation in the railway network is based on signalling system, and the cardinal principle for drivers is to obey signals. If a driver overshoots a signal, accidents do occur. In such cases the driver is sent for a medical examination, and action taken.

In the Chennai suburban system, the EMU operation is fully controlled and monitored by the signalling system. The motorman of the EMU is guided by signals alone.

In the present case, there was red signal at MMC, which the ‘unauthorised driver’ violated. By jumping the signal he made an unauthorised entry into a block section. Since he was travelling at a speed of about 90 km per hour, there was not enough time to react and prevent a collision. That was the reason why officials at the control room and at Basin Bridge Junction station could not stop the train.

At the Basin Bridge Junction, a worker who saw the EMU running on wrong line immediately informed his higher official. By the time the official came out of his room, he could see only the tail lamp of the EMU.

It took just 2.42 minutes for the EMU to travel from MMC to the Vyasarpadi Jiva station. Only after the completion of enquiries by the CB-CID and the Commissioner of Railway Safety, a clear picture will emerge, the official added.










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S.ravi
Advanced Member



India
4205 Posts

Posted - 04/30/2009 :  20:09:03  Show Profile Send S.ravi a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Telugu tattoo found on arm of killed train driver

http://news.webindia123.com/news/ar_showdetails.asp?id=904300890&cat=&n_date=20090430

Chennai |Thursday, 2009 8:35:06 PM IST

A tattoo in Telugu has been found on the arm of the mystery driver who caused a major railway accident that claimed four lives Wednesday, a police official said Thursday evening.

"We have found a tattoo in Telugu language on one of the arms of the
unidentified body - obviously the mystery driver. Though this does not exactly
mean he belonged to Andhra Pradesh, we are looking at all angles," Archana
Ramasundaram, additional general of police, told reporters.

Four people were killed and 11 injured when an empty train driven by an
unidentified person took off from Chennai's main railway station without permission and collided with a stationary train at Vyasarpadi Jeeva station within minutes early Wednesday.

The collision was so devastating that platforms at the Vyasarpadi Jeeva station were rendered almost unusable. Overhead electric cables supplying power to trains were torn off their poles and tractions.

"The incident taking place during the elections when security concerns are high has caused some anxiety. Our five teams are investigating the matter thoroughly leaving no stone unturned," Ramasundaram added.

Meanwhile, photographs of the mystery driver's face are being shown to various shopkeepers around the area to identify him.

The bodies of the three others who died have been handed over to relatives, according to police sources.

An official from the office of the Commissioner for Railway Safety said the probe's results will be known only months later.





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S.ravi
Advanced Member



India
4205 Posts

Posted - 04/30/2009 :  20:49:55  Show Profile Send S.ravi a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Andhra Pradesh police’s help sought to identify 4th deceased





An eyewitness has claimed to have seen the man moving about near the suburban train



UNIDENTIFIED: At left, in black and white, is the mangled face of a man in his thirties whose body was found at the site of Wednesday’s train collision that claimed four lives. Police are working to discover his identity. The picture on the right (in colour) is a reconstructed image of his face.

CHENNAI: The Crime Branch CID police have sought the help of the Andhra Pradesh police in identifying a man in his thirties who was among the four people killed in the collision of two trains at Vyasarpadi Jiva railway station in Chennai on Wednesday.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (CBCID), S.N. Seshasai, told The Hindu on Thursday that an eyewitness had claimed to have seen the man moving about near the suburban train that was hijacked. “He was seen making some calls in a telephone booth minutes before the departure of the suburban train,” the DIG said. “Outgoing call particulars reveal that a call was made to Tirupathi. We have alerted the Andhra Pradesh police to check the details at their end. A special team has been formed to establish identity and verify his antecedents.” Mr. Seshasai added that the motorman who was scheduled to drive the ill-fated train and the technician who handled the keys were summoned for interrogation on Thursday night.

Additional Director General of Police (CBCID) Archana Ramasundaram said investigators had taken stock of the situation and preliminary investigation revealed that a person well-versed with train operations alone could have been involved in the incident. The body of the well-built man in his thirties was found on the platform with severe wounds, including a head injury.

“It is too early to conclude that he hijacked the train though it is also one line of investigation,” the ADGP (CBCID) said. “The post-mortem was done on Thursday. The name ‘Doga Raju’ was tattooed on his right hand. Forensic experts lifted some evidence from the scene of collision and a report is expected from them soon. We are pursuing different leads, including the sabotage angle and the involvement of any other agency.”










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S.ravi
Advanced Member



India
4205 Posts

Posted - 04/30/2009 :  20:51:55  Show Profile Send S.ravi a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Probe panel to recommend severe action against erring officials





It would take two to three months to complete the report



PIECING IT TOGETHER: K.J.S. Naidu, Railway Safety Commissioner (second from right), inspecting the keys for operation in a suburban train at the Moore Market Complex in Chennai on Thursday.

CHENNAI: The Commission of Enquiry probing the collision between an EMU and a goods train at Vysarpadi station near here on Wednesday will recommend severe action against officials responsible to the railway administration. Four persons were killed and 11 injured in the collision.

Talking to newspersons here after the first day of enquiry on Thursday, Commissioner of Railway Safety K.J.S.Naidu said the commission would also recommend measures to the Railways for strengthening safety measures in the system to prevent such incidents.

It would take two to three months for him to complete the report, which would be sent to the Railway Board and the General Manager for action.

According to a railway official, 28 persons, including station managers and station masters of Moore Market Complex, Basin Bridge Junction and Vysarpadi, pointsmen of the MMC, scheduled driver and guard of the ill-fated EMU, will appear before the Commissioner. On Thursday, only two persons appeared.

When newspersons asked Mr.Naidu whether he had obtained any clues about the person responsible for the collision, he said at present he could only say that the EMU went on a wrong line violating the signal.

Whether it was the fault of the driver or any other personnel for leaving the keys in the motor car itself was being probed.

Earlier, the Commissioner visited the spot where the collision took place.

Later, he held discussions with railway officials.



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S.ravi
Advanced Member



India
4205 Posts

Posted - 04/30/2009 :  20:53:39  Show Profile Send S.ravi a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Biometric system of access-control to driver’s cabin planned

-------------------------------------------------------------------

The concept is the first of its kind in Indian Railways

It will be tried in Electrical Multiple Units in Chennai


---------------------------------------------------------------------ChENNAI: A day after an unidentified person took control of a suburban train and rammed into a goods train at Vyasarpadi Jiva railway station here on Wednesday resulting in the death of four persons, the Southern Railway has planned to go for biometric system of access-control to driver’s cabin in trains. The concept, the first of its kind in Indian Railways, will be tried in Electrical Multiple Units (EMUs) in Chennai.

“We are writing to the Research Design and Standards Organisation, Lucknow, on developing the biometric system. The technology is readily available and we only have to adopt it to suit our requirements. This security feature will be a foolproof mechanism as it would be fed with the thumb impressions…we can ensure the access of authorised persons to the driver’s cabin and ignition control,” Chief Mechanical Engineer (Southern Railway), V. Carmelus, told The Hindu.

The suggestion to have a biometric system was mooted by the Southern Railway Mazdoor Union at a high-level meeting convened by the General Manager, M.S. Jayanth, on Thursday. Members of the Dakshin Railway Employees Union took part in the meeting.

According to railway sources, Mr. Jayanth insisted that there should be strict adherence to rules and no compromise be made on the safety front. SRMU general secretary, N. Kanniah, said their suggestion of a biometric system would go a long way in ensuring safety.

Mr. Carmelus said it was decided to eliminate the practice of a Technician handling the keys of EMUs. As per the existing system, the motorman (driver) of an incoming EMU at the destination point would leave the keys in the driver’s cabin. A Technician would shift the keys to the other end of the train and prepare the train for departure. “We have now insisted that the Motorman should have the keys with him till the end of his duty. This practice is being followed in other zones including the Central, Western and Northern Railways. It has been planned to redesign the keys in such a manner that they cannot be duplicated.”

He said instructions were given to all divisions in the zone to ensure that locomotives were not left unmanned unless they were switched off and the keys deposited with the authorities concerned. “The drivers are equipped with walkie-talkie wireless communication sets that are connected to the guard and the Station Master of the nearest railway station.”









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S.ravi
Advanced Member



India
4205 Posts

Posted - 05/01/2009 :  08:50:21  Show Profile Send S.ravi a Private Message  Reply with Quote
No footbridge puts commuters at risk

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/no-footbridge-puts-commuters-risk-728

May 1st, 2009

chennai

April 30: After the train hijack mishap, the Vysarpadi Jeeva railway station may be making commuters vulnerable to the risk of being run over by trains as the only foot overbridge that was damaged in the accident has been removed. Also, there is a wide gap now between the platform and the track, which may prove fatal for passengers disembarking or boarding EMUs. A visit on Thursday morning revealed that the locality is yet to recover from the after shock of the accident. Several commuters who got off trains visited the accident spot and walked the length of the railway station to get a feel of
the accident impact. “We came to know about the accident through news and media channels and were anxious to visit the spot. As onlookers were not allowed yesterday, we visited the spot today and saw what is left of Jeeva station,” K. Prabhakaran and S.
Murugesan, employees of Chennai Port Trust, said.
“I was here at the station when the mishap occurred and the sound of the explosion and the cries of the accident victims are still ringing in my ears. I did not sleep a wink the whole night,” a booking office staff at Vysarpadi station said.
“My colleagues and juniors informed me that the booking office was engulfed in flames following an accident. When I rushed to the station by 5.10 pm, my eyes were filled with tears,” a senior official in charge of the station said.
The safety of the entire station has to be reassessed and repairs to be taken up. The only foot over bridge is lost and the platform has been badly damaged to a length of about 50 metres.
“We have taken up the issue with senior officials at headquarters and have sought their early intervention,” the official added.







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S.ravi
Advanced Member



India
4205 Posts

Posted - 05/01/2009 :  18:41:20  Show Profile Send S.ravi a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Key issue drivers of EMU may get charge http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Key+issue+drivers+of+EMU+may+get+charge&artid=3xY/bsmsCcU=&SectionID=lifojHIWDUU=&MainSectionID=wIcBMLGbUJI=&SectionName=rSY%7C6QYp3kQ=&SEO=

01 May 2009 02:51:00 AM IST

CHENNAI: The Southern Railway is considering a proposal to introduce a new system that will enable the motorman (driver) to handle the keys of electric multiple units (EMUs).

When brought into effect, it will alter the present system of maintenance staff handling the keys of locomotives, according to sources.

Each EMU has four keys. At present, Southern Railway allows the maintenance staff to handle the keys to facilitate charging the locomotive before its departure.

“The locomotive is left unguarded from the time the maintenance staff leave the cabin after charging the EMU till the motorman enters the cabin.

Hence the need to introduce this new system,” said the source.

After the engine is charged, the motorman applies what is called the reverser key or Dead man’s handle to put the train in motion.

After the journey comes to an end, the motorman deposits the key with an authorised official.

“The handing over of the keys to the appropriate authority would prevent any
disgruntled element from using it for nefarious purposes,” said the source. A
charged EMU cannot move unless the reverser key is applied.

“The train slows down as the motorman releases the reverse key. After the key
is released, it runs up to 1,200 metres and then stops,” the source added.

It is also learnt that Southern Railway is examining a proposal to reduce the weight of the four keys, which at present is 1.5 kg.

In addition, there is a proposal to have box-boys in the suburban sector.

Southern Railway authorities hope that the Railway Board will soon take a call on the matter.






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S.ravi
Advanced Member



India
4205 Posts

Posted - 05/01/2009 :  18:43:19  Show Profile Send S.ravi a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Train hijack probe begins
http://keralaonline.com/news/train-hijack-probe-begins_38512.html

Chennai, Friday 01 May 2009: The probe into the country’s first collision by a hijacked train that killed 4 and injured 11, suggests one of the men killed in the terrible collision could actually be the hijacker.
Investigators say the hijacker must have been technically savvy.

“He must have been an extremely knowledgeable person. It’s not that easy for an unauthorised person to drive a train,” said J K S Naidu, Commissioner of Railway Safety.

The loss of life would have been unimaginably high had the hijacked train collided with a passenger train. The probe will also look at whether it was part of a big terror plan.

One of the victims is yet to be identified. The police suspect him to be the hijacker possibly on a suicide mission, though no group has made any claims.



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S.ravi
Advanced Member



India
4205 Posts

Posted - 05/01/2009 :  18:44:48  Show Profile Send S.ravi a Private Message  Reply with Quote
3 special teams fan out to enquire about dead 'mystery man'
Chennai | Friday, May 1 2009 IST


Even as the mystery over the identity of the fourth victim in the April 29 train mishap continued, three special teams have fanned out to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh as police suspect that he might be hailing from that state.

The body of the victim has been kept in the Government General Hospital and police suspect that he might be the 'mystery man' who had piloted the EMU train and rammed it into a goods train, killing four people and injuring 11 others at Vyasarpadi-Jeeva station two days ago. Going by the tatoo written in Telugu on his right hand, the Crime Branch-CID, which was probing the bizarre mishap, believed that he might hail from Andhra Pradesh. Interrogations based on the sketches of the mysterious man revealed that he had made calls to Tirupati minutes before "hijacking" the train. This was confirmed when the police questioned the public telephone booth operators at the Central Station. Reports said the mystery man was also spotted in the Central station in the early hours on a couple of occasions. To ascertain more facts, three special teams have rushed to Andhra pradesh, two to Hyderabad and the other to Tirupati, to unravel the mystery behind the fourth victim.

The teams would hold discussions with Andhra Pradesh Inspector General of Police (Crime) Umapathy, besides ascertaining whether the mystery man had any links with naxal outfits. Meanwhile, Commissioner of Railway Safety K J S Naidu, who began the probe into the mishap yesterday, continued his investigation for the second day today. He held inquiries with several EMU drivers and railway technicians.

-- (UNI) -- 01MS23.xml

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S.ravi
Advanced Member



India
4205 Posts

Posted - 05/01/2009 :  18:56:12  Show Profile Send S.ravi a Private Message  Reply with Quote
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There are some questions raised by a section of passengers, writes S Vijay Kumar


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



It was an unprecedented sabotage that appeared to be exposing the inadequacy of safety mechanism when it comes to access control on railway premises.

Despite the deployment of Railway Protection Force and Government Railway Police personnel at vantage points, an unidentified person managed to take control of a suburban train early on Wednesday at the Moore Market Complex.

The hijacker jumped the red signal resulting in the train taking the wrong lane. Busting two signals, the train accelerated to 92 kmph in a few minutes and collided head-on with a goods train leaving four persons dead and many others injured.

This incident has raised many questions on the safety front though railway officials want to see it in isolation. They say steps have been taken to ensure that the driver’s cabin in Electrical Multiple Units or suburban trains is not left unmanned. Also, the motorman or driver shall be entrusted with the responsibility of keeping the keys (required to operate the train) in their custody.

Are the existing security arrangements adequate enough to avert the recurrence of such sabotage in future? Are trains that often have regular and unscheduled halts for crossings at small wayside stations prone to risk of hijack? Is it required to have armed guards on board engines? These are some of the questions raised by a section of passengers.

According to the Superintendent of Police (Railways), S. Manoharan, though armed guards escort trains their basic duty was protection of passengers and their belongings. However, if it appeared that there was some trouble at the engine side, they would certainly act.

On why the speeding train was not stopped or diverted to a sand hump when it was clear it was taking the wrong track, a railway official said the cabin crew did not notice the train as it was not given a green signal to start. When the Station Master of Basin Bridge Junction saw the train passing through his station without stopping and tried to alert the control room, the railway telephone was not working. By the time, he could make an alternative, it was late, he said.

It would not be possible to accommodate an armed guard in the locomotive as it had space just for two drivers, including an assistant. “The doors are usually kept closed and there is communication system to alert the guard or the nearest station in case of any hijack attempt,” the official added.







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