India’s Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said rescue teams have been deployed, following a train crash in the eastern state of Odisha that has killed over 200 people and injured 900. The accident involved multiple trains, including the Coromandel Express train. It was heading from Kolkata to Chennai and crashed into a derailed train, which was travelling from Bengaluru to Kolkata. It has been reported that a stationary freight train might have also been involved. Tragically, Friday’s crash was the deadliest since 1999 when a train crash in West Bengal state killed 285 people. India’s rail network is one of the largest in the world, but suffers from constant underinvestment and there have been several tragic and deadly accidents.
Aging Rail System a Major Concern
The aging system and lack of investment is becoming a major cause for concern in India. There have been several tragic accidents in recent years. In 2016, a train derailed in Uttar Pradesh, killing more than 150 people. It is feared that these accidents will become more frequent unless safety measures and investment for upgrades are put into place.
The Urgency of Call For Upgrades
India’s rail network is one of the largest in the world. With over 14,500 passenger trains traveling 67,000 km per day across the country, a huge number of people use the rail system. As such, the demand for upgrade and modernization is urgent, but the government is slow to act. There is a lot of bureaucracy involved in such a massive operation. Therefore, it is imperative for the government to streamline the process and invest in infrastructure to prevent further tragedies.
Safety Measures to be Put in Place
The lack of safety measures and infrastructure is one of the major reasons why train accidents occur in India. With several accidents occurring every year, the need for better safety measures is imperative. The government needs to work with private companies to provide better technology and safety measures. This could range from improving signalling systems, automatic train protection, and train monitoring systems, to introducing newer rail cars that are more crash-resistant and lower operational costs.
Reforms in Government Policies
The continued slow pace of reforms in government policies is the main reason behind the decline of the Indian Railways, which was once a pride of India. The government must take the lead by ensuring that the railways are being run by professionals, rather than politicians, as in the past. They should also accelerate the pace of privatisation in areas such as infrastructure, freight, and passenger services.
Closing Thoughts
As the Indian economy continues to grow, the demand for rail transport will only increase. Therefore, it is essential to upgrade the railway system and provide better safety measures to prevent further tragedies. While the government must act urgently and decisively, all stakeholders must also take responsibility to ensure that railway safety is given the attention it deserves. We can’t continue to have a situation where thousands of lives are lost due to a lack of investment and foresight.
Summary:
India’s rail network is one of the largest in the world but is ageing and suffers from chronic underinvestment. This system has been responsible for deadly accidents, which occur every year. Recent calls for upgrades and government reforms have been growing due to the continued decline of Indian railways. In 2016, a train derailment killed around more than 150 people; however, this accident resulted in fatalities of more than 200 people. Therefore, the pressure for the government to streamline and improve infrastructure is critical for the railway system’s safety and maintenance. Governments must ensure that the railways should be run by professionals, not politicians, and take the lead in facilitating privatisation within infrastructure, freight and passenger services. As the Indian economy continues to grow, the need for modernisation and improvement will only continue to increase the demand for rail transportation as a whole.
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A train crash in eastern India has killed more than 200 people, officials said, in one of the country’s deadliest rail crashes in decades.
At least 260 people were killed and 900 injured in a collision involving multiple trains in Odisha state on Friday night, officials said.
The Coromandel Express, which was traveling from Kolkata to Chennai in southern India, crashed into a derailed train traveling from Bengaluru to Kolkata. Local media reported that a stationary freight train was also caught in the collision.
Television footage showed train carriages strewn across the tracks, some piling on top of each other. Witnesses reported seeing the bodies of dead and mutilated victims strewn about the site.
“When I got off the train, I saw limbs scattered all around, a leg here, a hand there,” a survivor told NDTV.
A rescue operation ended on Saturday after workers searched for passengers trapped inside the crumpled cars. Officials did not immediately say what led to the collision, which happened near the town of Balasore, and said they were investigating.
Friday’s crash was the deadliest since 1999, when a train crash in West Bengal state killed 285 people.
“There was a deafening noise and then our train backed up and stopped with a massive jolt,” said Vidhan Jena, a passenger on one of the trains, according to The Times of India. “I was shocked to see bodies lying here and there. It was a terrible sight.
India’s rail network is one of the largest in the world and is vital for national passenger and freight transport.
But the aging system suffers from chronic underinvestment and there have been a series of tragic and deadly accidents. In 2016, a train derailed in the state of Uttar Pradesh, killing more than 150 people.
On Friday evening, India’s Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw wrote on Twitter that he was “rushing to the Odisha site”.
He added that rescue teams were deployed from different states with the country’s air force. “He will take all the hands necessary for the rescue operations,” he said.
“In this hour of mourning, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on Twitter.
https://www.ft.com/content/f321b508-b37a-4c00-b994-f507113bad4a
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