Sambalpur: Railway Blunder; Sambalpur Railway Gate Left Open During Train Passage, Major Disaster Avoided
Sambalpur: Despite the fact that over a year has passed since tragic railway accidents in various parts of the country, which resulted in the loss of hundreds of invaluable lives and revenue losses in crores, the railway authorities have shown no signs of correcting their negligence. A major railway accident was narrowly avoided in Sambalpur on Monday evening, around 6 p.m.
Railway gates are typically expected to close when a train passes. However, on Monday evening, at the Durgapali railway gate, two trains—the Hatia-Bangalore from Sambalpur and the Jagdalpur-Howrah Samaleshwari Express from Hirakud—passed simultaneously. Surprisingly, the railway gate did not close but remained open.
According to reports, both trains approached the Durgapali railway gate because of incorrect signaling, resulting in an abnormal situation. As the trains passed, unaware commuters, including a passenger bus, were trapped at the level crossing. When they saw trains approaching from both directions, they panicked and fled the bus, running for their lives. Meanwhile, seeing the unexpected situation, the railway staff at the gate quickly climbed up and flagged the trains with a red flag, halting them.
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A major accident was avoided thanks to the railway staff’s quick thinking. However, the public remains concerned about such lapses, questioning why the railway gate was not closed when the trains approached. The railway authorities have not stated whether this incident was caused by a signaling fault or another reason for the gate remaining open. Eyewitnesses reported that the chaos at the Durgapali level crossing lasted nearly an hour.
When contacted, a senior signal and telecommunications officer for the division stated that there had been no complaints. He added that the interlocking system normally prevents the train from moving until the gate is closed. However, he would be able to provide an explanation only after conducting a thorough investigation. It is worth noting that a similar incident occurred near the Durgapali railway gate in the past, when wagons became detached from a freight train engine, forcing the engine to travel alone. Despite the fact that the divisional manager’s office is only 3 kilometers away, the ongoing chaos at the level crossing calls the claims about train safety into question.
