West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slammed Railway Board for handing over the inquiry into the Odisha train accident to the CBI saying that “it is not the time to suppress the truth”.
From Vande Bharat Express, to electrification of the rail network and modernizing railway stations, rail travel has gained a new significance under PM Modi-led BJP government.
Diversion of passenger train to loop line meant that there was no time for anti-collision technology to have deployed as passenger train decelerated from 128 kmph to zero in a matter of seconds on hitting iron ore-laden freighter
Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said that the train accident at Odisha’s Balasore, which has left 275 people dead and over 1,000 injured, was caused due to a ‘change in the electronic interlocking system’. Since the tragedy took place on Friday night, many are also wondering if Kavach, the Railway’s automatic protection system could have averted such a disaster. But what are these systems? How do they impact the functioning of trains?