Bhubaneswar: Three railway employees, including the loco pilot and assistant loco pilot of the Howrah–Puri Shatabdi Express, were removed from duty after the train crossed a red signal at Soro station in Balasore district on Sunday evening.

Railway officials confirmed on Monday that the incident was serious but a major accident was avoided because of quick intervention from the Kharagpur divisional control room.

According to railway sources, the Howrah–Bhubaneswar Jan Shatabdi Express, which was running late by about 37 minutes, had been given clearance to depart from Soro station at 5.39 pm. At the same time, the Shatabdi Express, which was scheduled to pass Soro at 5.38 pm without stopping, was halted at the north cabin with a red signal. Despite this, the Shatabdi moved past the red signal at a slow speed.

The control room immediately alerted the Soro station manager and the loco pilot, who stopped the train before it could move further. Officials from Soro and Balasore later reached the site.

Following safety rules, the loco pilot, assistant loco pilot and guard were de-boarded at the next station, Markona. A replacement crew took charge, and the Shatabdi Express reached Puri more than two hours late.

The South Eastern Railway has ordered an inquiry to find out if the lapse was due to human error or operational failure. While the loco pilot reportedly claimed that the signal was not visible, officials who checked the site said visibility was clear at the time.

Though passengers inside the trains were unaware of the situation, people on the platform at Soro station said they were alarmed when the two trains came close.