Preliminary findings of a near to collision of two local trains at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) indicate that Motorman SD Shrikhande of the Kalyan-CSMT local train had crossed the red signal.
“The positioning of signal number 26 is very confusing, motorman SD Shrikhande has experience of more than two decades,” said one of the workers' union leaders. Shrikhande is supposed to retire from his job in the next 6 months.
The incident unfolded around 3:20pm on last Thursday when the Kalyan-CSMT local train, under Shrikhande's operation, disregarded a red signal. The train proceeded nearly 79 meters toward platform four, which was already occupied by a CSMT-Thane local train. The Kalyan-CSMT local was traveling at a speed of 29km per hour at the time.
Emergency brake applied
The motorman of the CSMT-Thane local train applied the emergency brake and bringing both trains to a halt, averting a potential catastrophe. Simultaneously, the Auxiliary Warning System (AWS) in the Kalyan-CSMT local train activated, further contributing to the safe stop.
The incident led to a temporary suspension of train operations from platforms three and four for 40 minutes, causing delays of up to 15 minutes for over a dozen other local trains.
Central Railway promptly formed a committee composed of junior administrative grade officials to investigate the root cause of the incident.
According to sources, inquiry is underway but preliminary findings indicate that the signal for the Kalyan-CSMT local train was red, leading to the motorman’s error. Shrikhande was later suspended.
