Kalinga Utkal Express derailment: Portion of track cut but not repaired, claims audio clip

As reports emerge of a possible laxity by the railways authorities leading to the train derailment in Khatauli, India Today has accessed a telephonic conversation between a gateman at the station and a railway official at Pathankot. During the conversation, the gateman admits to the laxities.

"The track was already broken but the railway authorities were not undertaking proper steps to repair it," the gateman said.

When the railway official asked the gateman what happened at the Khatauli station, he replied, "Nobody wants to work. The railway authorities hardly works for 30 minutes. They sit at the gates for a while and return. There is no patrolling".

When the accident took place, the gateman revealed, the repair work on the track was not complete. "They cut the track and set a new one, but did not complete the work. There was no red flag placed at the site, the tragedy was imminent," he revealed.