Andhra Pradesh train accident: Initial probe points finger at Rayagada passenger train crew | Latest updates

Fourteen people died and over 50 were left injured in a train collision that took place on Sunday night in Andhra Pradesh. Since the accident, track restoration work has been completed and Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has called on the prime minister to inspect all rail lines in India.

A preliminary railway investigation has identified the driver and assistant driver of the Rayagada Passenger train as responsible for the collision.

The incident occurred when the train passed two defective auto signals in violation of safety norms, resulting in the tragic deaths of both crew members.

The investigation determined that the Rayagada passenger train (08504) collided with the Visakhapatnam-Palasa passenger train (08532), which was operating at a restricted speed, due to the former's crew passing two defective auto signals.

The report, accessed by PTI, holds the Loco Pilot, SMS Rao, and Assistant Loco Pilot of the Rayagada passenger train responsible.

According to regulations, the train should have stopped for two minutes at the defective signals and then resumed at 10 km/h. The Rayagada passenger train did not follow this, leading to the collision. The report notes two defective signals in the Kantakapalli-Alamanda section. The Visakhapatnam Palasa train followed the rules by stopping at both signals and maintaining a restricted speed of 10 km/h.

In contrast, the Rayagada passenger train did not follow these norms at both defective signals, resulting in the collision with the preceding train, which was operating at a restricted speed.

All three railway lines between Alamanda and Kantakapalli, which were affected by the train derailment and accident, are now fit for train operations, the Railway Ministry announced.

A day after the accident, the first train plied on the railway track after restoration in Vizianagaram concluded on Monday, October 30.

The middle line was deemed fit for train operations at 11:29 p.m. on Monday, October 30 after track and overhead electrification (OHE) work was completed. The first train on the middle line passed the affected area around 12:55 a.m.

Earlier, the first coaching train passed in the Up line at 2:36 p.m. and the first goods train passed in the Down line at 2:25 p.m.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to inspect all rail lines in the country.

The chief minister made the appeal following a visit to the Vizianagaram government general hospital where the injured survivors are undergoing treatment in the wake of a train accident in the Vizianagaram district.

"I sincerely request Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to constitute a high-level audit committee to thoroughly examine all these aspects, not just on this line but on all lines across the country," said Reddy in a post on X. He stressed the need for an audit to ensure that devastating accidents do not recur.

"Why did the braking system and alert system not function? Why did the signalling fail? How did the communications system fail?" he asked.