Train’s journey- what kind of a journey is this? No one knows, no one understands. Yes, it is the condition of Indian Railways these days and no one can say that the journey would be safe for the passengers/travellers or not. Every now and then we hear in the news that trains are falling off the tracks or colliding with each other.
Many dies, many got injured, the property of crores damages, but no one is ready to take responsibility for it. On one hand, we have laid the foundation for running a bullet train, but on the another hand, every traveler of the traditional railway step out of their houses only after remembering God. They do not know whether they will return home alive or not.
The condition of Indian Railways has become extremely scary in today’s scenario. Every individual pays a heavy amount for a safe traveling, but when he himself doesn’t know that when might embrace death during that travel. He eats bad addle kind of food in the train, and if he is traveling during the night, then he has to tie his luggage with chains and locks. Despite this, he can’t relax and sleep peacefully. As he doesn’t know when he can get robbed, so he prefers to stay awake during his night travel. Not only this, his hearts skip the beats by thinking, that what if it is his last trip!
India is a country that has reached to Mars, our scientists continue to achieve new accomplishments every day in the field of space and science. But on the other hand, the train accidents happening every now and then in the country are also raising question marks on our capabilities, achievements, and success.
Why all these train accidents happening frequently in our country? Who are all responsible for this? Nobody has the right answer to give and no one’s responsibility can be fixed for this. Is there any news in your knowledge, in which you remember that in XYZ train accident, Railway Department found someone guilty and punishment has been given to the one responsible.
After every railway accidents, many types of things have been heard and said about the reason of the accident. After the accident, the government gave orders for the investigation, a few people got suspended and few of them got transferred. But, in most of the cases, it is not known who was guilty and who all were responsible, and the reports stay in the files.
Several committees were constituted in the name of rail security. In the tenure of the UPA government, Anil Kakodkar Committee was formed to give suggestions on railway safety. Sam Pitroda Committee was formed to suggest measures for modernization of railway. The committee like the Kunjuru Committee, formed in the year 1962, the Banu Committee in 1968, the Sikri Committee in 1978 and the Khanna Committee in 1998, are formed which also suggested several concrete measures to improve the condition of railways and also suggest protective measure for the passengers. But the recommendations given by this committee are still buried in the files under the layers of dust.
The month of September is going on of the year 2017, more than half of the year has been passed. In these 8 months, we have heard a lot many train mishaps incidents which we haven’t heard off in past many years.
According to the available data in the Ministry of Railways, in last one decade, almost 1,396 train accidents took place in our country. Almost 458 people did in those accidents, from which 193 died during the accidents which took place in the year 2016-17. Most of the people died in the year 2016-2017, in last one decade.
More than half the accidents (708) of the total 1,394 train accidents happen due to the derailment of the train. In 2014-15, about 135 and in 2015-16, 107 train accidents took place. Last year in 2016-17, total 104 train accidents took place in which maximumly happens due to trains falling off the tracks.
In the parliament, the government has also told that in the year 2014-15, in which 60 out of 135 train accident took place due to the negligence and carelessness of railway staff. Same happens in following years, as in 2015-16, 55 out of 107 and 2016-17, 56 out 85 train accidents happens due to the same reason. Who was responsible for this? Who was found guilty? According to my memory nobody.
From Independent India’s first Rail Minister John Thomas till Lal Bahadur Shastri and from Suresh Prabhu till Piyush Goyal, thousands of rail accidents happened but accountability is zero. Lal Bahadur Shastri resigned after the train accident, it was a matter of the fifth decade. That was the first major accident since independence. Before that, in the reign of the British, there were no such accidents took place. Then Shastri had resigned from his post of ministry after taking moral responsibility.
Now, this kind of incidents taking place so frequently, so who and what justifies the resignation? It is now being argued, whether a resignation of a minister will stop all these mishaps? As this kind of accidents will continue to happen.
India is a country where there is no one guilty in the government and there is no fault of the government. Government is our parents. This is the only reason due to which the journey of the train has become more unsafe, vulnerable, costly and distressed. People travel depending on God’s trust and will. We will certainly run the bullet train but if the tracks are officially hauled, then the bullet train journey will also be like going through a well of death.
Let’s have a look onto some major rail accidents took place in the country so far this year.
January 22, 2017: Jagdalpur-Bhubaneswar Hirekhand Express
The Hirakhand Express derailed in Vijaynagaram district of Andhra Pradesh. In this accident, 27 passengers were killed and 36 were injured.
February 20, 2017: Kalindi Express
Kalindi Express going to Delhi got derailed on the Tundla junction of UP. This incident was more terrible because in it two trains a passenger train and goods train collided. Three coaches and engines were derailed in the accident.
March 3, 2017: Ujjain train blast
In March, Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train allegedly reported a terrorist explosion on the train. This incident happened between Kalpipal and Sehore railway station between Jabbadi station. In it, 8 people were injured. The Madhya Pradesh government called it a terrorist blast.
March 17, 2017: In Bengaluru Train collides with an ambulance
In Bengaluru’s Chitradurga district a train collides with an ambulance due to which 4 women died. The driver of the ambulance was trying to cross an unmanned crossing, only then the train hit him from behind.
March 30, 2017: Mahakaushal Express
The Mahakaushal Express was derailed between Laddpur and Suma near the Kulapahad station of UP. In this incident, 52 people were injured. The accident was examined by both the ATS Railway and Police Force.
April 9, 2017: Goods train accident in West Bengal
A cargo or good train’s engine derailed near the Howrah-Kharagpur section of Bengal’s South Eastern Railway. However, there was no harm happened in the incident.
April 15, 2017: Rajyarani Express
Nearly 8 coaches of RajyaRani Intercity Express leaving from Meerut to Lucknow derailed. RajyaRani Express was going to Lucknow from Meerut when the train derailed near Kosi bridge in Rampur. About 60 people were injured in this accident.
April 23, 2017: Rajya Rani Express, Patna
Two coaches/bogies of Saharsa –Patna RajyaRani Express in Bihar fall off the track near a railway station. However, no one got injured in the incident.
May 21, 2017: Lokmanya Tilak Superfast also met with an accident.
August 19, 2017: Utkal Express
Utkal Express’s 14 coaches get off from the track, the train is going from Puri to Haridwar. More than 20 passengers died and about 200 people got injured.
