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Indian Railways Suffered 9 Derailments In Last 27 Days: An Analysis
15 Sep 2017 12:50 PM GMT
Editor : Sudhanva Shetty Shetty
Writer, coffee-addict, likes folk music & long walks in the rain. Firmly believes that there's nothing more important in a democracy than a well-informed electorate.
Recent news of train derailments have caused great concern in the country. The rising frequency of the derailments is particularly disturbing, with the Railways Ministry criticised for its unpreparedness. What were the incidents of train derailments in the past month and why is the rate of train derailments increasing?
Date: August 19
Train: Utkal Express
Location: Khatauli, Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh
Casualties: 23 dead, over 100 injured
Date: August 23
Train: Kaifiyat Express
Location: Auraiya, Uttar Pradesh
Casualties: Over 74 injured
Read more: After Rail Ministry’s Claim That Train Accidents Have Declined, Another Derailment In UP Injures 74
Date: August 25
Train: Local train
Location: Mahim station, Mumbai, Maharashtra
Casualties: Over 5 injured
Read more: Point failure caused derailment of Mumbai local train near Mahim, say officials
Date: August 29
Train: Duronto Express
Location: Between Asangaon and Vasind railway stations, Maharashtra
Casualties: No reported casualties
Read more: Maharashtra: 9 Coaches Of Duronto Express Derail; Third Derailment In 10 Days
Date: September 7
Train: Shaktipunj Express
Location: Sonbhadra district, Uttar Pradesh
Casualties: No reported casualties
Read more: 7 Coaches Of Shaktipunj Express Derail In UP, Third Such Incident In Less Than A Month
Date: September 7
Train: Ranchi-Delhi Rajdhani Express
Location: Shivaji Bridge station, Delhi
Casualties: One person injured
Read more: Rajdhani Express Coach Derails In New Delhi, No Injuries Reported
Date: September 7
Train: Goods train
Location: Khandala, Maharashtra
Casualties: No reported casualties
Read more: 3 Train Derailments In Less Than 10 Hours: Why Are India’s Trains Going Off Tracks?
Date: September 7
Train: Local train
Location: Basin Bridge yard, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Casualties: No reported casualties
Read more: Train arrivals delayed at Chennai Central following locomotive derailment
Date: September 14
Train: Jammu Tawi-New Delhi Rajdhani Express
Location: New Delhi Railway station, Delhi
Casualties: No reported casualties
Read more: Jammu Rajdhani Express coach derails at New Delhi Railway Station
The Logical Indian take: Why are Indian trains going off track?
According to some news reports, train derailments in 2016-17 have led to the highest number of deaths in a decade. Over the past 10 years, there have been as many as 1,394 train accidents. Of these, 51% were due to derailments. During the tenure of the current NDA government, there have been at least 346 derailments.
Why are India’s trains going off tracks? The main reason for the increasing number of accidents is the huge gap between government’s promises and the ground reality. At the root of the problems is the financial crunch faced by Indian Railways with insufficient investments in the safety of passengers. (Analysis)
2016-17 was the year with the maximum number of deaths due to train accidents.
But the Railway authorities have hardly learnt from past mistakes.
The underlying questions remain – what are the safety measures taken for the passengers after repeated mishaps of train derailment? What is really ailing the Indian railways?
Most accidents are met with oft-repeated reactions like “Strict action shall be taken against the guilty,” and so on. Days pass, inquiry commissions submit reports to assess which accident has had the most damaging effect, unless another case of derailment again makes it to the headlines.
Who is to be blamed? The government? The railway ministry? Or the poor state of infrastructure? The Indian Railways are treated as a GDP-churning-asset, capable of transporting people and freight. Hardly any attention is paid to the aspect of safety of the passengers travelling by the railways. Where does the factor of accountability lie?
The Indian Railway has lost its focus on operations. It runs as an organisation systematically managed by successive governments THAT lack the understanding of the organisation’s potential.
The Logical Indian community urges the government to look into the matter of railway safety on a priority basis and make sure that such fatal mishaps are avoided.
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