What happened (Railway Board directions after rail accidents)
The Railway Board issued instructions to Railway leadership to expedite train accident investigations by improving on-ground availability of investigating officers. Senior railway officers investigating train accidents were directed to camp at the accident sites so that inquiry reports can be completed within the prescribed timeframes.
The instructions were issued to General Managers of all Zonal Railways. The Railway Board linked the directive to a safety review that found multiple accident inquiries and related departmental proceedings were not being finalised within deadlines.
Background and earlier position (why inquiries were delayed)
A Railway Board safety review (as cited by railway sources) attributed prolonged accident inquiries to two main administrative problems:
• Delays in constituting the inquiry committees after an accident