30-07-2025
Investigation confirms sabotage in Bagmathi Express accident
Forcible removal of fittings in the railway track led to the rear-end collision of Bagmathi Express with a freight train at Kavarapettai railway station in Southern Railway's Chennai Division on the night of October 11, 2024, says the final investigation report of the Commissioner of Railway Safety.
Confirming the sabotage, the report said removal of fittings and connections at Point No. 51B by 'miscreants' led to the collision of Train 12578 Mysuru-Dharbanga Bagmathi Express with the stabled goods train. Thirteen coaches derailed and a power car went up in flames in the accident that left about 19 passengers injured.
'This happened not due to automatic/sudden failure of any equipment or assets but due to the forceful alteration in the designed position of Left Hand Tongue Rails (which divert a passing train from one track to another)...,' the report said.
After the CRS asked the railways to identify vulnerable areas prone to sabotage and ensure patrolling based on threat levels, the Railway Board responded by saying that such locations were already identified and security measures, including installation of surveillance cameras and intelligence gathering, taken in coordination with the railway and local police taken. Special forces have been deployed in sensitive sections and all divisions have been directed to ensure patrolling based on threat perceptions.
Role of insider
The report said the possibility of sabotage involving an insider was a grave matter and the intelligence machinery of the railways should develop a mechanism of gathering inputs in that angle. On this note, the railways wrote to the CRS saying that the Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) of the Railway Protection Force (RPF), in coordination with Central and State intelligence agencies, has strengthened security to prevent sabotage, especially from insiders. SIB units across Zonal Railways were instructed to intensify intelligence gathering on railway employees, contractual workers and other associated personnel.
After the report commended the good work of Loco Pilot G. Subramani whose alertness and promptness in applying emergency brakes reduced the speed of the train and consequent impact of the collision, the railways said his name was recommended for the 'Ati Vishisht Rail Seva Puraskar'.
It may be recalled that sabotage angle was suspected soon after the accident last year prompting officials of the National Investigation Agency to visit the site. However, they found no material or any other prima facie evidence pointing to sabotage for probing the case further.
