At the same time, the SMVT Bengaluru–Howrah Express (Train no:12864) was travelling in the opposite direction from Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal in Bengaluru, Karnataka, to Howrah on the adjacent down line.

Both trains were not scheduled to stop at the Bahanaga Bazar railway station and received a green signal to proceed along the main line.

[4] Bodies of deceased passengers were taken to a local high school, chosen due to its open spaces and its location close to the crash site.

Identification of the bodies was made difficult due to burns and other trauma, which led officials to use the belongings to try and identify the passengers.

[24] These unreserved coaches were often the most crowded as it allowed anyone with the cheapest category ticket to board without a specific seat reserved for them and were frequently used by migrant workers.

[21] Local hospitals were overwhelmed by the influx of injured people and faced difficulties in providing patients with adequate care.

Further, ex gratia compensation of ₹200,000 (US$2,300) from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) was announced to the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 (US$580) to the injured.

[37] The Ministry of Civil Aviation directed airlines to ensure that airfares did not surge in response to increased travel demand due to cancellation of trains.

[2][3] The chairman of the Indian Railway Board said that the electronic interlocking system was largely fail-safe but this rare case of failure might have been caused by a damaged wire or short circuit.

[45] He also suggested that someone might have changed the point rails as an act of sabotage, which was described as highly unlikely by a signal inspector due to time constraints.

[47] The CBI statement identified them as one technician and two signal engineers employed with Indian Railways, who were charged with culpable homicide and destruction of evidence in the case.

[49] A December 2022 report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India warned that the safety department of the railways lacked adequate staffing which could impact the quality of maintenance.

[51][52] In February 2023, the principal operating manager of the South Western Railway zone had reported a similar signalling error with the Karnataka Sampark Kranti Express having narrowly escaped a collision and had warned that this could lead to accidents if the issue was not resolved.

[53] Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, expressed his distress over the incident and extended his thoughts to the grieving families.

[61] In the aftermath of the train crash, messages were circulated blaming Muslims for the accident on different social media platforms and WhatsApp groups.

Odisha Police termed these events as "highly unfortunate" and warned of criminal action against perpetrators of false information.

[62][63] Various accounts known for spreading Hindutva and BJP propaganda, posted messages that highlighted the past achievements of the government and demanded an investigation into the accident, deeming it as a terror incident.