Odisha Train Crash: SE Railway General Manager Removed, CRS Probe Report Not To Be Made Public

Bhubaneswar: Almost a month after the horrific triple-train accident in Odisha’s Balasore, the Railway removed the general manager of the South Eastern Railway Archana Joshi.

The move comes just after the Railways informed that it would not be making the Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) probe report public to ensure that there is no interference in the CBI’s ongoing investigation, as per a PTI report.

According to sources, the CRS in its report suggested that the accident took place due to human error as the officials on duty failed to follow the standard operating procedures for the train operations.

Anil Kumar Mishra has been made the general manager of the Southern Eastern Railway after the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet gave him the go-ahead.

Prior to joining as South Eastern Railway general manager, Joshi worked as additional member in tourism and catering, the Ministry of Railways, Railway Board. She was the first woman IRTS officer to become a general manager.

The South Eastern Circle CRS AM Chowdhury, who was probing the accident submitted his report to the Railway board on Thursday. According to a senior official, the Railways will be taking into congisance both the CRS report and the CBI investigation and form an overall evaluation of the incident.

Three trains collided in Odisha’s Balasore district on June 2, claiming 293 lives and injuring over 1,000 people. The Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express entered the passing loop instead of the main line near the Bahanaga Bazar station at full speed and collided with a stationary goods train. On the adjoining line, the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express collided with the derailed coaches of the Coromandel Express, leading to some of its bogies jumping tracks.

Meanwhile, 29 bodies of the 81 victims of the Balasore train accident that were kept in AIIMS Bhubaneswar were identified earlier on Thursday.