Railways will ensure such mishaps do not recur: Trivedi

Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi on Wednesday said investigation into the train collision which left nine persons dead would go into all details to ensure such mishaps do not recur, but said it was "too early to blame anybody".

Speaking to reporters after visiting the mishap site and the injured in hospitals here, he said preliminary findings indicated that the Mainline Electrical Multiple Units Coach operator should have stopped at the signal. Instead, data showed the driver increased speed.

Trivedi, who was earlier briefed by Southern Railway General Manager Deepak Krishan on details of the mishap, said doctors attending on the driver at Chennai had said he is out of danger. "It is too early to blame anybody".

He said a breathalyser test was also done on the driver and it was ascertained he was not under the influence of alcohol. Asked whether the driver had proper rest, Trivedi said he had a 15 hour rest ahead of joining duty on Tuesday night.

Earlier on arrival at Chennai airport along with a team of Railway officials, Trivedi said a comprehensive probe would be launched to ascertain if the accident occurred due to human error or technical fault.

The team also visited about 30 injured admitted to Government General Hospital in Sitheri before leaving for the accident site. Nine persons were killed and 100 others injured when a speeding passenger train rammed into a stationary train at Sitheri near Arakkonam late Tuesday night.