A day after the derailment of Secunderabad-Manmad Express that claimed 18 lives and injured 41, Railway authorities have suspended the driver of a goods train that was on the main track at Ghatnandur for three hours.

Union Minister of State for Railways Bandaru Dattatreya said that the erring driver, who moved the goods train into Ghatnandur station's main track at around 2145 IST, refused to go forward, asking for a relief driver.

He eventually relented and moved the goods train only after the Manmad express met with the accident.

"Goods train driver Rajai Kamble refused to take out the train and go to Parli, where the relief driver was to take over. His contention was that his duty hours were over and that he be provided a reliever to take over from him," South Central Railway General Manager S M Singla said.

"He had signed the muster at Gulbarga at 1145 IST and started off with the train at 1215 IST on January 2. But, on reaching Ghatnandur, he refused to drive the train though the destination was just one station ahead. If he had left the place in time, the accident would not have occurred."

He said that it was normal for the drivers to put in 13 to 14 hours of duty and claim overtime wages, but the adamant attitude of the goods train driver was a serious issue.

Apart from the goods train driver, the Railway authorities have already suspended five Railway employees, including the regional railway safety officer, assistant stationmaster, two pointsmen and a traffic inspector on Friday, for negligence.

 They had allowed the Manmad Express into the main line through wrong signals, instead of directing the express train into the loop-line. The ASM and the two pointsmen absconded after the accident. 

 Ex-gratia of Rs 140,000 [Rs 5,000 for each injured] had already been distributed for those with simple injuries. Rs 165,000 has been was paid to 11 out of the 13 seriously injured passengers [Rs 15,000 for each].

Railway welfare inspectors had been sent to the houses of the deceased persons to hand over ex-gratia of Rs 100,000 each.

Meanwhile, Union Railways Minister Nitish Kumar has convened a meeting of all general managers of zonal railways in New Delhi on January 8 to discuss measures for ensuring safety on the Indian Railways, in the wake of frequent train accidents in different parts of the country.

Dattatreya said the meeting would look into the accidents and discuss strong and stringent measures required to ensure safety.

He said accidents in recent times had occurred due to weak culverts, track fault and signaling problems. To tackle such defects, track were being renewed, culverts strengthened and bridges, signals and telecommunication were being improved.

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had announced a massive plan with outlay of Rs 170 billion for safety enhancement measures on the Indian railways.

While the union government would provide Rs 120 billion, the remaining Rs 50 billion would be raised through levy of a surcharge on the passengers.  The work will be initiated within two years and completed by 2008.

Work on renewal of tracks amounting to Rs 11.46 billion, replacing signals at Rs 31.03 billion are being taken up at 1,494 major stations in the country.