Archive · 25 Sep 2025
Probe: Old Signal and Poor Maintenance Caused Train Derailment
In November 2024, a train derailed at Nalpur station.
The accident happened because the signal system was old, and not well-maintained.
The key part, a relay, was accidentally bumped by a worker.
This caused the train to switch to the wrong track.
The investigation found the equipment had outlived its life.
The probe also suggested the system should have had better safety features.
It recommended replacing the old systems.
Secunderabad-Shalimar Express derailed at Nalpur station in November 2024.
The derailment was caused by poorly maintained, outdated signal equipment.
A railway probe found that a signal maintainer accidentally contacted a relay.
The K-50 relay was manufactured in 1989 and commissioned in 1999, exceeding its lifespan.
The probe recommended replacing old systems at stations using similar equipment.
- Who
- Night signal maintainer
- What
- Derailment of Secunderabad-Shalimar Express
- When
- November 2024
- Where
- Nalpur station, West Bengal
- Why
- Outdated signal equipment and poor maintenance; accidental contact with relay
Expert Opinion
Facts of the incident
Cause of the Derailment
Expert Opinion
The maintainer's contact with the relay resulted in faulty signals and derailment
Facts of the incident
Outdated signal systems and poor maintenance caused the derailment.
- Incident Date
- November 2024
- Location
- Nalpur station, West Bengal
- Train
- Secunderabad-Shalimar Express
- Cause
- Poorly maintained, outdated signal equipment
- Equipment Age
- Over 30 years old
- Key Component
- K-50 Siemens latch relay
