The Ministry of Railways have deleted the reference made to loco pilots “engrossed in watching a cricket match on their mobile phones” in the Vizianagaram train accident in safety circulars issued later which banned the crew from using Bluetooth headsets, official sources said on Wednesday.
The issue pertains to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s statement made in New Delhi on March 3, 2024, that train accident “happened because both the loco pilot and co-pilot were distracted by the cricket match which was going on.”
He was referring to the tragic rear-end collision of Train No 08504 Visakhapatnam-Rayagada Passenger with Train No 08532 Visakhapatnam-Palasa Passenger between Kantakapalle and Alamanda railway stations in Waltair Division of East Coast Railway in Andhra Pradesh on October 29, 2023, which left 17 people, including the loco pilot and his assistant, dead and 34 others injured.
However, after ‘The Hindu’ published a report “Loco pilots were not watching cricket at time of crash” based on the final inquiry report of the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) on Saturday, the Minister clarified that the findings of the CRS would be final. There was tentative initial possibility that the loco pilots may have been distracted at the time if the accident, he said.
Soon after Mr. Vaishnaw’s statement, the railway issued circulars banning the crew from using Bluetooth headsets while on duty. In a circular the Southern Railway expressed shock that the crew members were engrossed in watching a cricket match on their mobile phones, facilitated by the use of Bluetooth devices of headphones. “This blatant disregard for safety protocols is utterly unacceptable and places countless loves at grave risk,” it said in a circular.
In a similar circular the South East Central Railway said “Disturbingly, it was revealed that the crew members were distracted by watching a cricket match on their mobile phones, facilitated by the use of Bluetooth devices or headphones. This egregious disregard for safety protocols is unacceptable and puts countless lives at risk,” the circular said.
But with no evidence forthcoming later in the mobile data usage analysis to substantiate the allegation that the loco pilots were watching cricket and the final investigation report of the Commissioner of Railway Safety not making any mention about the same, the railways have recalled the safety circulars, the sources said.
Cricket remarks deleted
The railways have withdrawn the circular and issued a fresh circular after deleting the portions referring to the loco pilots watching cricket. In the revised circular, it has been mentioned that instances of staff utilising Bluetooth devices or headphones while on duty had surfaced in the past thereby emphasizing the pressing need for regulation. “The use if Bluetooth devices, headsets and other attention distracting gadgets shall be strictly avoided by the staff connected with train operations and maintenance of critical assets,” a circular issued by Southern Railway said.
