The loco pilot of the Delhi-bound Sikkim Mahananda Express, which derailed at Bihar’s Ara Junction railway station on September 7, had not completed the required route learning, according to railway records.
A preliminary investigation conducted after the incident held the loco pilot and assistant loco pilot responsible for initially overshooting a red signal and subsequently reversing the train to return it to its original position. The train derailed during the process.
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Sikkim Mahananda Express derailment: Crew suspended
The Prayagraj Division, to which the train crew belongs, suspended the loco pilot and assistant loco pilot following the incident. The deputy crew controller and chief loco inspector were also suspended over allegations that the crew had been deployed without completing the required route learning.
Deploying a crew without adequate route learning is a violation of railway rules. The issue had also been highlighted by the Railway Board just two weeks before the derailment.
In a written communication dated August 24, 2026, the Railway Board warned all railway zones about the importance of route learning after a loco pilot in the Asansol Division overshot a red signal while operating without completing the required route learning.
"Booking of crew with due route learning is important. Strict action needs to be taken for this violation," the Railway Board said in its communication.
What railway records show about route learning
According to railway records, the loco pilot last operated a train on the Prayagraj-Patna route on December 16, 2025. He was subsequently deployed on other routes.
Under railway norms, a loco pilot who has not operated a particular route for six months to two years is required to undertake two route-learning trips before being deployed regularly on that route.
Records show that the Sikkim Mahananda Express loco pilot undertook one route-learning trip on July 1, 2026, accompanied by another regular loco pilot familiar with the route.
However, he was deployed as a regular loco pilot on the route from July 14, 2026, despite reportedly needing to complete another route-learning trip.
Crew Management System allegedly bypassed
The records also indicate that the Prayagraj Division allegedly manually manipulated the Crew Management System while booking the loco pilot.
The system has an inbuilt mechanism intended to prevent the deployment of crew members who have not completed the required route learning.
A railway safety official explained why route knowledge is considered critical for loco pilots.
"The route involves every minute detail such as curves, gradients, signal distance, different types of signal aspects, among others. So the consequence of incomplete route learning can be dangerous, and that's why the Board has made it a mandatory provision," the official said.
