CRS report om Penukonda

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BANGALORE, July 10, 2012

Loco pilot, station master blamed

STAFF REPORTER

S.K. Mittal, Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), Southern Circle, who investigated the May 22 Hampi Express accident at Penukonda, has said that the loco pilot and the station master at the Penukonda railway station were primarily responsible for the incident.

In his report, the commissioner said the loco pilot was guilty of SPAD (signal passed at danger) at the home signal at Penukonda station and the points of the track of Hampi Express were set towards the line occupied by the goods train.

While the loco pilot committed the first mistake, the station master committed the second one, the CRS said.

Mr. Mittal told The Hindu that the final report was not yet ready, but the preliminary findings would not change.

However, the Nairuthya Railway Employees’ Union (NERU) alleged that the Railway administration was making lower level staff scapegoats for the accident. Officers who did not post additional station masters at Penukonda, which was a junction, were the real culprits, NERU legal adviser G. Rajan said.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/article3622505.ece