Bahanaga Bazar station sealed as CBI probes train tragedy

No train will halt at Bahanaga Bazar station as the Central Bureau of Investigation investigating the train accident in Odisha's Balasore district has sealed the station after seizing the log book, relay panel and equipment, a railway official said on Saturday.

After restoration of both the up and down line, at least seven trains, mostly local, were halting at Bahanaga Bazar station where a triple train crash took place on June 2 killing 288 persons and leaving 1,208 others injured.

South Eastern Railway Chief Public Relations Officer, Aditya Kumar Chaudhary told reporters that the CBI has sealed the station after seizing the log book, relay panel and other equipment.

"The relay interlocking panel has been sealed prohibiting access of the staff to the signalling system, no passenger or goods train would stop at Bahanaga Bazar till further notice," Choudhary told reporters.

Though around 170 trains pass through the Bahanaga Bazar Railway station every day, only passenger trains train like Bhadrak-Balasore MEMU, Howrah Bhadrak Baghajatin Fast Passenger, Kharagpur Khurda road fast passenger, used to stop at the station for a minute.

Of the 1,208 injured persons, the railways has already provided ex-gratia to 709 passengers, he said.