Kanchanjunga express accident: Railway Board reveals why anti-collision system 'Kavach' was not in place on mishap route
Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express near New Jalpaiguri on Monday, resulting in the deaths of five people and injuring approximately 50 others. The anti-collision system 'Kavach' was not operational on this Guwahati-Delhi route at the time of the accident. Railway Board Chairperson Jaya Varma Sinha revealed that the 'Kavach' anti-collision system was not operational of Guwahati route. «It is currently functional on 1,500 km of railway tracks, with plans to extend it to another 3,000 km by the end of the year,» Sinha said. She attributed the collision to a possible human error by the loco pilot of the goods train, who succumbed to injuries.
«It is not there right now,» said Sinha regarding the absence of the 'Kavach' system on the route.
Asserting that safety remains the railways' top priority, Sinha mentioned ongoing efforts to ensure the security of train operations.
«We are doing everything to ensure that train operations remain safe,» she asserted.
Sinha revealed that the implementation of the 'Kavach' anti-collision system is being carried out on a mission basis. It is currently functional on 1,500 km of railway tracks, with plans to extend it to another 3,000 kmsby the end of the year. She emphasized the need to ramp up the production of the safety system for quicker nationwide implementation.
Kanchanjungha Express Train Accident: Why was Kavach missing? Another disaster brings focus back to anti-collision system
The collision, which took place about 10 km from New Jalpaiguri station, saw the
