Will fix crossover behind derailment: WR to CRS

Mumbai: In the wake of derailment of six coaches that left six passengers injured on August 25, Western Railway (WR) has assured the CRS that the notorious crossover which caused derailment will not be used until safety features are upgraded. Safety norms require that curvature of the crossover where trains change direction should not exceed eight degrees. However, the crossover in question was found to have a curvature of 8.4 degrees. The steep crossover remains a cause for concern as it runs the risk of derailment.

After the public outcry on social media, WR feared a severe backlash, possibly an agitation on the lines of the Diva riots in 2015 that led to nearly 35 people being arrested and damage to the tune of `4 crore.

General manager A.K. Gupta said, “There was a safety issue that the CRS found and we fixed it, and the line is back to normal.”

Co-incidentally, the CRS was to conduct a scheduled inquiry Friday morning and had carried out an inquiry with officials only two days ago on September 6. An official said, “The crossover has caused it and any movement in the Mahim yard has been suspended until the anomalies are done away with.”

WR has been unable to decrease the curve of the crossover due to presence of a water pipe at the Bandra end. Meanwhile, tracks at the end of King’s Circle too have an equally steep curve due to presence of slums. An official said, “These issues have been there for a while but they remained unresolved, which is why the CRS was even more infuriated. Right now, we will not be parking any trains there or using that crossover in emergency situations like we did on August 25.”