A Commission of Railway Safety’s (CRS) report into the derailment of the Bikaner-Guwahati express has pointed out major lapses in maintenance.
Twelve coaches of the train had jumped the rails, and some of them overturned near Domohani on January 13. More than nine people died in this accident.
“During the inquiry of the accident, it has come to notice that loco no 22375 WAP-4 has undergone last trip inspection on December 6 and since then it was running continuously 18,000 km before derailment of Traction motor -2. The WAP-4 locomotive should undergo inspection after every 4,500 km,” it stated.
The report said the locomotive was continuously working in Agra division of NCR as a ‘missing link loco’. “All locos have their mother division. Their inspection generally takes place in that division only. Here, this loco was running in NCR as missing loco, owing to which inspection was not carried out,” it stated.
The report also stated that such locomotives undergo inspection at spots where they don’t have proper infrastructure. “How such ghost examination takes place is matter of investigation by rail authorities,” it stated.
Earlier, a NEWS18 report, too, had highlighted the loopholes. It had stated that the monthly inspection of the locomotive, 22375/GD(WAP4), was due on 09.01.2022. The periodical maintenance and checking, which is scheduled every three months, was done on 11.11.21. Experts has raised questions on how the locomotive was allowed to haul passenger trains without the mandatory monthly inspection.
