Advocate Vishal Tiwari has filed a public interest litigation in order to find out what went wrong and caused this tragedy in Odisha. His litigation also highlights the guidelines to implement the Kavach system in train routes.
According to the reports, the PIL will be looked into by an expert panel headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court of India.
Advocate Vishal Tiwari's PIL reportedly said, "Immediately to set up an expert commission headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court consisting of technical members to analyse and review the current risk and safety parameters in the railway system and to suggest systematic safety modifications for strengthening Railway safety mechanism and submit its report in two months to this court."
What is the Kavach?
Launched in 2022, the Kavach is an alert system for trains to be notified if there is another train on the same track within a prescribed distance to avoid accidents like these. The design also includes an automatic brake application in case it is not done manually and also makes the viewpoint clearer during foggy weather conditions. Some other features include automatic whistling at level crossings, continuous updating of movement authority, collision avoidance through direct loco-to-loco communication, and the inclusion of an SOS feature to control trains in emergency situations. Read more about the Kavach system here.
According to the latest reports, the three-way accident involved Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Coromandel Express and a goods train on three separate tracks at Bahanaga Bazar Station in the Balasore district. 17 coaches of the two passenger trains got derailed with intensive damage and loss of lives.
