Probe reveals faulty track may have led to derailment

Mumbai: The commissioner of railway safety (CRS) recorded statements of track engineers after it came to light that the track, particularly the crossover on it, was faulty in case of the Mahim derailment on Friday. Statements were recorded on the first day of the probe into derailment of four coaches which saw six passengers getting injured. Sources said that the investigation was likely to go on for a week as the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) and western railway (WR) were busy passing the buck.

Sources said that the first day set the tone for the inquiry with many indulging in clarifications to the CRS. An official said, “The most important facet of this probe will be pinning responsibility as almost everyone seems to have absolved themselves of the responsibility for derailment. No one seems to be in a mood to own up to at least their part of the blame. The investigation has a lot of overlap as to who was in-charge of the crossover, what could have been done if there was a design flaw, should services have been run in the first place etc.”

Track engineers in charge of inspecting if all crossovers fell within safety parameters were also called in on Monday and the probe went on from 11 am to 6.30 pm, said officials. CRS Sushil Chandran will come out with a report on the accident within 80 days of its occurrence. The train derailed on August 25 between Mahim and Wadala at 9.55 am.