New Delhi: In connection with incident of Delhi Metro’s driverless train in Kalindikunj depot on December 19, DMRC Chief Dr. Mangu Singh approved orders for suspension of four officials connected held primarily responsible for the unexpected incident causing damage to metro property including a train, a shunter and workshop building infrastructure.
The four officials included one Deputy General Manager who was the In-charge of Kalindi Kunj depot, one Assistant Manager under him responsible for the depot activities and a Junior Engineer and Assistant Section Engineer who were involved in operating that train. The suspension is based on the enquiry done by a team of three Executive Director rank officers.
The incident report of the enquiry revealed that this incident was solely attributable to human failure as proper procedures were not followed. 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.
“The incident was a localized incident within the maintenance shed of the depot. 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 would not affect the main line operations in any way whatsoever where public would be carried eventually.”, said in a press release issued by the DMRC.
“The incident was a cause of human error and concerned officers and staff have already been suspended.”, said Anuj Dayalm CPRO of DMRC.
DMRC has also decided to go ahead with the inauguration of the Kalkaji Mandir-Botanical Garden stretch on December 25 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.