"Deliberate interference" in interlocking system may have caused the accident: Sudhanshu Mani

In an exclusive chat with ETV Bharat, Sudhanshu Mani, chief architect behind semi-high speed train known as Vande Bharat Express suspected that there was some "deliberate interference" in the interlocking system as a result of which the accident occurred.

Kolkata: The chief architect of the Vande Bharat Express Sudhanshu Mani suspected that "deliberate interference" in the interlocking system may have led to the Odisha train accident that claimed around 280 lives and injured over 1000 people.

Nearly 50 hours after the accident, movement of trains has resumed on the up and down lines of this section. According to railway officials, since 4.30 pm yesterday, 19 trains, mostly freight trains, are plying on both lines. A team of Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) has reached the spot and started a preliminary investigation.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had recommended a CBI investigation into the tragic accident to find out whether it was caused due to some sabotage or technical snag. Mani did not rule out chances of sabotage. He said that initially it was not clear as to how the accident happened but with the passage of time, "deliberate interference" in electronic interlocking system is slowly becoming clear.

"The interlocking system is designed in such a way that when any fault occurs in the line, the system will immediately switch into 'safe' mode. So, if there was any problem in the line on that day, the interlocking system would have detected it and gone to safe mode after issuing a red signal. Thus, the accident could have been averted," Mani told ETV Bharat in an exclusive chat on Monday.

The Ministry of Railways officials too seem to doubt that there was some kind of "deliberate interference" that day. It is being suspected that someone might have tampered with this interlocking system with a criminal mindset or even if there was no criminal intention, it could have been some negligence during maintenance, sources said.

"When the Ministry is recommending CBI investigation then it is clear that they have received some information in this direction. Till the investigation is completed, we will have to wait," Mani said.

The problems faced due to staff shortage have been taken up by the railway workers time and again. Mani however feels that more than staff shortage the main problem is that the track condition is not good. "The line work has to be done quickly to run the next train and so the staff are in a hurry. In such situations, accidents may happen. But, in view of the safety of the passengers, the track maintenance work has to be ensured," he said.