The objection was submitted to the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) on Friday, where AILRSA representatives also highlighted several ongoing safety issues during a 40-minute discussion. The CRS has asked them to furnish documentary evidence to support their claims.
The inquiry committee, comprising five railway officials, had concluded that the accident was caused by the loco pilot overshooting the signal. The AILRSA has rejected this finding, stating that the report contained factual inaccuracies, including incorrect signal numbers, and that it was issued without a proper fact-finding process.
Zonal Secretary V.K. Tiwari, in a letter to the Senior Divisional Electrical Engineer (Operation), alleged that pinning the blame solely on the running staff without evidence tarnishes their professional image. The association urged the South East Central Railway (SECR) administration to reconsider the report and conduct a transparent investigation.
On Friday, CRS B.K. Mishra recorded statements from 21 railway officials and employees, including the freight train manager. The assistant loco pilot could not be questioned due to her condition. The CRS also questioned officers who had counseled the crew involved in the accident and reviewed technical details with members of the five-member investigation team.
Meanwhile, SECR officials, led by DRM Khoiwal, conducted a brake test on the MEMU train involved in the collision. The trial simulated the same speeds and conditions as the day of the accident to analyze braking performance and data logs.
The tragic accident occurred on November 4 between Gatora and Lalkhadan near Bilaspur, where a MEMU train collided with a stationary goods train, resulting in the death of 11 passengers.
