Joint Enquiry Committee report: over-speeding caused Gujranwala train accident

Running of the train at an excessive speed more than double the permissible speed of 30 km/h for group-1 locomotives which facilitated increase of lateral and vertical oscillations to become violent with the result that wheels of the rear truck of the locomotive derailed inside and outside on curved track resulting in such a catastrophe, aggravated due to late application of emergency brakes."
This was stated in the report of joint enquiry committee which was formed to determine the causes of the tragic train accident that took place on July 02, 2015. The committee besides determining the cause of the accident has also fixed the responsibility of various railway officials. The report was shared with the media here on Friday by the Directorate of Public Relations Pakistan Railways Headquarter.
The report has been prepared by joint enquiry committee comprising of senior officers of Ministry of Railways and Pakistan and Army on the basis of evidence, statements of witnesses, scrutiny of the relevant record, and observations during the site inspection and discussions. The joint enquiry committee considered all the possible causes of derailment viz, bridge, track, locomotives, sabotage which were ruled out or found inconclusive. The joint enquiry committee has fixed the responsibility of the accident on the following staff:
A.DIRECT RESPONSIBILITY:
1. Riaz Ahmad s/o Muhammad Iqbal, Driver S-318 Down of loco shed, Faislabad;
2. Muhammad Fayyad s/o Muhammad Sharif, Assistant Driver of S-318 Down of loco shed, Faislabad
3.Shahid Mehmood s/o Muhammad Sadiq, points man (guard of S-318), Faislabad;
B. INDIRECT RESPONSIBILITY:
1.Muhammad Ehsan ul Haq s/o Muhammad Ali, station superintendent Faislabad;
2.Muhammad Hanif s/o Wali Muhammad locos Foreman, Faislabad
3. Zahid Saeed s/o Muhammad Saeed Khan, chief controller, control office, Lahore
4.Syed Zafar Siddique Akhtar s/o Syed Ali Akhtar, Dy. chief controller, Lahore
5.Allah Rakha s/o Din Muhammad, Dy. Chief Controller, Lahore
6. Muhammad Awais Akhtar s/o Chaudhry Abdul Hameed section controller, Lahore
The joint enquiry committee has recommended that appropriate action under E & D rules be taken against all those who have been found responsible, the statement released by the Directorate of Public Relations Pakistan Railways concluded.