Signal overshot, missing Kavach system: 2 factors that likely caused goods train to collide with Kanchanjunga Express

Kanchanjunga Express collision: On Monday morning, a tragic train collision occurred on the busy route between West Bengal's capital city, Kolkata's Sealdah station, and New Jalpaiguri station in Siliguri, which connects South Bengal to North Bengal. A goods train collided with the popular-with-tourists, Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express in Darjeeling district, killing 15 people and injuring at least 60. 

Possible causes of the Kanchanjunga Express collision

Two factors that likely contributed to the crash between the goods train and the Kanchanjunga Express have been identified. 

Missing Kavach System

One significant factor was the absence of the Kavach, a made-in-India system that prevents accidents if two trains travel on the same line. According to reports, the Kavach system was not installed on the tracks in Darjeeling, where the collision occurred.

An old video of Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw explaining the Kavach system went viral following today's crash. Officials said the system has yet to be installed across much of India's rail network. 

Jaya Varma Sinha, Chairman of the Railway Board, informed NDTV that the Railways intends to implement the safety system on the Delhi-Guwahati route to cover more than 6,000 km of tracks by the following year. She mentioned that Bengal is included in the 3,000 km tracks to receive Kavach protection this year. Additionally, she stated that the system will be implemented on the Delhi-Howrah route.

Goods train overshot signal

Another contributing factor was the goods train overshooting the signal. Officials said that the goods train had overshot the signal before it rammed into the Kolkata-bound Kanchanjunga Express train. 

A senior railway official said the deceased included the pilot and the co-pilot of the goods train and the guard of the passenger train.

Kanchanjunga Express collision: Trains diverted

Following the accident, 19 trains have been cancelled in the Phansidewa area of Darjeeling district, West Bengal. 

These include:

1. 19602 New Jalpaiguri - Udaipur City Weekly Express of 17.06.24

2. 20503 Dibrugarh - New Delhi Rajdhani Express of 16.06.24

3. 12423 Dibrugarh - New Delhi Rajdhani Express of 16.06.24

4. 01666 Agartala - Rani Kamlapati Special train of 16.06.24

5. 12377 Sealdah- New Alipurduar Padatik Express of 16.06.24

6. 06105 Nagercoil Jn.- Dibrugarh Special of 14.06.24

7. 20506 New Delhi- Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express of 16.06.24

8. 12424 New Delhi- Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express of 16.06.24

9. 22301 Howrah-New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express of 17.06.24

10. 12346 Guwahati- Howrah Saraighat Express of 17.06.24

11. 12505 Kamakhya-Anand Vihar Northeast Express of 17.06.24

12. 12510 Guwahati-Bengaluru Express of 17.06.24

13. 22302 New Jalpaiguri-Howrah Vande Bharat Express of 17.06.24

14. 15620 Kamakhya-Gaya Express of 17.06.24

15. 15962 Dibrugarh-Howrah Kamrup Express of 17.06.24

16. 15636 Guwahati- Okha Express of 17.06.24

17. 15930 New Tinsukia-Tambaram Express of 17.06.24

18. 13148 Bamanhat-Sealdah Uttar Banga Express of 17.06.24

19. 22504 Dibrugarh- Kanyakumari Express of 17.06.24