A month after the Balasore train tragedy that led to 293 deaths, the Commissioner of Railways Safety (CRS) probing the accident has flagged human error of workers in the signalling department as the cause, dismissing the likelihood of a sabotage or a technical glitch or a mechanical fault.

The agency, which probed the technical aspects of the train accident, has also pointed to “lapses” on part of the staff of the signalling and telecommunication (S&T) as well as the operations department, a senior railway official was quoted as saying by the Times of India (TOI).

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The Ministry of Railways has not yet made the CRS report public considering that a parallel investigation in being conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on any “intentional interference” in the system that caused the accident, killing over 290 people and leaving nearly 1,200 injured.

“We will not be disclosing the CRS report because of another ongoing independent enquiry (of CBI). This is to ensure that this report does not in any way influence or interfere with the other report. We will take cognisance of both the reports and make an overall evaluation of the incident and then take whatever steps necessary,” another official said, the Hindustan Times reported.

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After getting both the investigation reports, the railways will take the necessary steps, an official said.

On June 2 evening, three trains — Kolkata-Chennai Coromandel Express, Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express and a goods train — were involved in one of the worst railway tragedies in the country in the last three decades.

Days before the CRS report was submitted, the railway board had ordered a double-locking arrangement for all its relay rooms with train controlling mechanisms, relay huts [having signalling and telecommunications equipment of level-crossings], and point and track circuit signals.

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