NEW DELHI: Four train accidents in less than 12 hours which killed seven people and left at least 11 injured has again raised serious questions over the railways’ safety record and its competence to run safe train operations.
There were two derailments– one in Uttar Pradesh’s Chitrakoot district that killed three people and another in Odisha when Paradeep-Cuttack goods train jumped the rails where no deaths were reported.
In another accident, a local passenger train hit a Bolero vehicle at an unmanned crossing, killing four and injuring two people near Amethi in UP.
In the fourth incident, the engine of Jammu-Patna Archana Express separated from the train near Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh.
The derailments could not be averted despite railway dispensation’s “over-cautious” approach of deliberately slowing down trains to ensure more “blocks (time period)” for maintenance and track renewal works which are delaying most of the trains causing inconvenience to passengers.
Thirteen coaches of the Vasco Da Gama-Patna Express derailed at 4:18 am, soon after leaving platform of the Manikpur railway station in Chitrakoot district, about 250 km from Lucknow, killing at least three and injuring nine.
An official said the casualties can rise to six. “The train was running at the speed of 90 kmph as there was no stoppage at Manikpur. The way 13 coaches derailed, I can only say the passengers were very lucky,” said an official.
According to preliminary reports, “rail fracture” caused the accident which has once again raised questions over the transporter’s ability to run safe train operations.
“It seems tracks were not checked through the ultrasonic device which can detect small fractures caused due to extreme variation in temperature during winters,” he added.
Another official said the track seems to be “weak” and also “wet”, pointing fingers at poor maintenance of tracks despite high priority given to track renewal and maintenance by the railways top brass.
Railway minister Piyush Goyal said he has asked officials not to entertain any requests – not even from him – for letting trains pass when maintenance work is being carried out because track renewal is essential for safety.
Goyal’s diktat has resulted in the increase in the number of speed restrictions for maintenance work. This, in turn, led to train delays causing inconvenience to passengers even as winter fog is yet to come.
Sources suggest railway officers have failed to understand the “spirit” behind Goyal’s “extreme step” of slowing down the trains to ensure safety.
The incident of a local train hitting a Bolero vehicle at an unmanned crossing in UP, killing four people and injuring two again reflects on railways poor track record when it comes to elimination of level crossings.
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