A day after an FIR was registered against two Central Railway engineers for culpable homicide not amounting to murder in the June 9 Mumbra train collision that claimed five lives and injured nine others, more details have emerged from the investigation.
FIR Filed Against Central Railway Officials
The Thane Government Railway Police (GRP) registered the case on November 1 against Assistant Divisional Engineer Vishal Yadav, Senior Section Engineer Samar Yadav, and other officials.
The move followed an internal probe by a three-member Central Railway inquiry team, which found lapses in maintenance and safety oversight.
Negligence Despite Warnings About Track Damage
According to the FIR, heavy rainfall before and on the day of the accident choked a drain near track number 4 at Mumbra station, causing water to overflow onto tracks 3 and 4.
Gravel and lashing pads had been removed, and a section near platform number 4 had subsided, creating a potential hazard.
Despite being aware of these issues and visiting the site, the engineers failed to carry out necessary maintenance work.
Faulty Speed Restrictions and Unfinished Repairs
The engineers reportedly issued a caution order restricting train speed to 75 km/h, though rules mandated that it should have been reduced to 69.4 km/h until the track was repaired.
On June 5, a portion of track number 4 was replaced, but welding work remained incomplete, leaving one rail elevated and the other sunken, disturbing the alignment. This defect caused a train running on track 4 to lean dangerously toward another train on track 3.
Track Distance Below Prescribed Safety Norms
Investigators discovered that the distance between the two tracks was 4,264 mm, slightly less than the prescribed 4,265.241 mm, contributing to the collision between the Kasara–CSMT (N-10) and CSMT–Karjat (S-11) locals around 9:30 a.m. on June 9.
GRP Action Raises Concern Within Railways
Sources said the GRP’s decision to book railway engineers under criminal charges has alarmed the railway administration, as such incidents are typically investigated only by internal committees or the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS).
Central Railway’s Response
When contacted, a Central Railway spokesperson said, “The Mumbai division has conducted a thorough inquiry into the Mumbra incident, and the reasons have been identified. Operations are continuing without issues.”
