A technical error leads to disastrous crash?

ANM News investigative team: Is the signal maintenance personnel at Bahanaga bazar railway station responsible for the Balasore train tragedy in which around 300 passengers died and another 12000 suffered injuries? Railway officials admitted that the accident involving Coromandel Express, Yesvantpur Howrah superfast express and a stationary Goods train is one of the worst disasters in recent memory.

According to initial investigations carried out by CBI and Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), there are enough indications to suggest that signal maintainer, a technical railway personnel, might have erred resulting in signal failure.  A probe carried out by ANM News team of reporters present at the spot and after speaking to several senior and junior railway officials, disclosed that a boom barrier at the level crossing near the station was recently converted into an electrical one from the manual installed earlier. The electrical circuit in the boom barrier malfunctioned on June 2 and workers and technicians were directed to carry out repair work between 2 Pm and 4 PM.  With the electric circuit of the boom barrier connected to the train signal, senior officials mentioned that it was important that repair work needed to be carried out on war footing.

Sources mentioned that the workers and technicians delayed starting repair work till 5 PM and then it dawned on the signal personnel that Coromandel Express will be arriving around 7 PM. Independent investigations revealed that the signal maintainer tweaked with the system resulting in the signal to the Coromandel Express turning green while the track got changed from main line to loop line where a goods train was stationary. According to highly placed sources in CBI and CRS, the initial findings are being thoroughly investigated and all versions and technical findings corroborated after interrogating various officials and witnesses.