Ara derailment: Despite Railway Board warning, officials deployed crew without proper route learning
New Delhi, Dec 2 (PTI) The loco pilot of the Delhi-bound Sikkim Mahananda Express, which derailed at Bihar's Ara Junction railway station on September 7, had insufficient route learning, according to railway records.
The preliminary investigation conducted soon after the incident held the loco pilot and assistant loco pilot responsible for initially overshooting a red signal and then reversing the train to return it to its original position, during which the train derailed.
The Prayagraj Division, to which the train's crew belong, suspended the loco pilot and assistant loco pilot, along with the deputy crew controller and chief loco inspector, for allegedly deploying the crew with incomplete route learning.
Deploying crew without due route learning not only violated railway rules but also went against a stern warning issued by the Railway Board just a fortnight before the derailment, stating that "strict action needs to be taken for this violation”.
The board's warning came after a red-signal overshoot by a loco pilot in Asansol Division who was deployed on a train without completing route learning.
"Booking of crew with due route learning is important. Strict action needs to be taken for this violation," the Railway Board had said in a written communication dated August 24, 2026, to all the railway zones.
However, despite the board's letter to all zones and divisions across the country, the Prayagraj Division not only booked the loco pilot but also allegedly manually manipulated the Crew Management System, which has an inbuilt mechanism to prevent such deployments.
The records show that the loco pilot last operated a train on the Prayagraj-Patna route on December 16, 2025, after which he was deployed on other routes.
According to railway norms, if a loco pilot does not operate a train on a particular route for a period between six months and two years, he should be given two route-learning trips.
Records show that the Sikkim Mahananda Express loco pilot received one route-learning trip on July 1, 2026, accompanied by another regular loco pilot on that route.
The records also show that he was deployed as a regular loco pilot on the route from July 14, 2026, despite being required to complete another route-learning trip.
"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," a safety official said.
Senior officials of Prayagraj Division, however, tried to downplay the violations, stating that the loco pilot had already completed five and a half trips on the route between July 14 and September 6.
"On September 7, while returning from the trip, he overshot the red signal and, while trying to drive the train back to its original position, it derailed. It has nothing to do with route-learning exercises," a senior official from the Prayagraj Division said.
"Since the incident took place under the East Central Railway Zone, it investigated the case, and due action will be taken," he added.
Safety officials, on the other hand, called it a serious offence and stated, "Even if insufficient route learning might not have a direct correlation with the derailment, it is still a violation of norms that has come to light during the investigation and should be viewed very seriously."
"The Railway administration should take stringent action not only against the loco pilot but also against those senior officials who deployed him on the route. They risked the lives of passengers. Senior officials, being in a dominating position, often force loco pilots to bypass the rules. Unless they are severely punished, safety will not improve in the Railways," he added.
