A preliminary inquiry report by a Central Railway investigation committee has concluded that an excessive gap in the guard rails near a diamond crossing in the Pune railway yard led to the derailment of the Vande Bharat Express at Pune station on April 27.Officials said action is likely to be initiated against those found responsible after the final report is submitted. (HT)The report has attributed the incident to an engineering error during maintenance work carried out under a railway block. Officials said action is likely to be initiated against those found responsible after the final report is submitted.“The preliminary report on the Vande Bharat Express derailment has been received. It states that the accident occurred due to an error on the part of the engineering department. However, the final inquiry report is yet to be received,” said Swapnil Neela, chief public relations officer of Central Railway.The Mumbai–Solapur Vande Bharat Express had derailed while moving through the Pune station yard, marking the first accident involving a Vande Bharat train in the country. Following the incident, the railway administration constituted a three-member inquiry committee to determine the cause of the derailment. According to the committee’s preliminary findings, the front wheel of one of the coaches slipped off the track because of improper alignment and excessive spacing between the guard rails installed near the diamond crossing in the yard.The guard rail helps keep the derailed wheel confined between the rails, thereby reducing the chances of a severe accident or overturning of coaches.Officials said the train was moving at a speed of around 10 kmph at the time of the incident, which prevented a major mishap.