Kalindi Kunj Depot accident: DMRC suspends four officials

New Delhi [India] Dec. 20 (ANI): The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Wednesday suspended four officials in connection with the Kalindi Kunj Depot incident wherein a train rolled back and hit a wall.

Anuj Dyal, Director, Corporate Communication, DMRC, said, Managing Director of DMRC Dr Mangu Singh today approved orders for suspension of four officials connected with yesterday's incident involving a train in the Kalindi Kunj maintenance depot which rolled back and hit a wall."

The four officials included one deputy general manager who was the depot in charge, one assistant manager under him responsible for this depot activity and a junior engineer and assistant section engineer, who were involved in operating this train.

"The suspension is based on the enquiry done by a team of three executive director rank officials," Dayal said.

He informed that the enquiry revealed that the incident was due to human error.

"The train's brakes, which were isolated (necessary for push/pull operations in the depot area when a train is required to move with a battery operated vehicle) were not normalized before moving the train on its own power and bringing it for washing at the ramp. As a result, as soon as the operator brought the train at the ramp, it started rolling back, got derailed and hit the wall," Dayal said.

He said the train was not driverless and the area where the incident happened is not controlled by signaling system.

"This part of the depot is for maintenance of trains and without power for trains. Trains are pulled by a shunter engine and therefore this area is not controlled by signaling system. Accordingly, the train was doing local shunting in this part with a person on board and was not 'driverless'. Such an operation would not affect the main line operations in any way whatsoever where public would be carried eventually," Dayal said.

Kalindi Kunj depot falls in the Kalkaji Mandir-Botanical Garden line of the Delhi Metro, which will reduce the travel time between Noida and south Delhi, will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 25. (ANI)