Railway Accidents in India: Causes and Safety Measures [1/3]
✓The Indian Railways is one of the largest railway networks in the world, with millions of people relying on it for transportation every day.
✓Statistics show that over the last two decades, the number of derailments which constitute the majority of accidents has drastically declined from around 350 per year around the turn of the millennium, to 22 in 2021-22.
✓However, accidents like the one that occurred at Bahanaga Bazar railway station at Balasore highlight the need for better safety measures and infrastructure.
✓The loss of so many lives is a tragic reminder of the importance of ensuring that the railways are safe for everyone who uses them.
✓In response to this incident, there have been calls for accountability from those in charge of the Railways, as well as a need to address the systemic issues that may have contributed to the accident.
✓Experts are offering suggestions on how to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future, such as improving signalling systems and investing in better technology.
✓Furthermore, there have been comparisons made with Railway systems abroad, highlighting the need for India to improve its infrastructure and safety measures to match those of other countries.
✓Overall, this incident has brought attention to the importance of ensuring that the Indian Railways are safe and reliable for everyone who uses them.
‼️What are the Primary Reasons behind Railway Accidents?
➖Infrastructure Defects:
✓The railway infrastructure, which includes tracks, bridges, overhead wires, and rolling stock, is often defective due to poor maintenance, ageing, vandalism, sabotage, or natural disasters.
✓Much of the infrastructure was built in the 19th and 20th centuries and has not been upgraded to meet the growing demand and modern standards.
✓The railway system also suffers from a lack of funds, corruption, and inefficiency, which hamper its development and maintenance.
✓Moreover, many routes are operating at over 100% capacity, which increases the risk of accidents due to congestion and overloading.
➖Human Errors:
✓The railway staff, who are responsible for operating, maintaining, and managing the trains and tracks, are prone to human errors due to fatigue, negligence, corruption, or disregard for safety rules and procedures.
✓Human errors can result in wrong signalling, miscommunication, over speeding, or overlooking defects or hazards.
✓The railway staff also lack adequate training and communication skills, which affect their performance and coordination.
➖Signalling Failures:
✓The signalling system, which controls the movement and direction of trains on the tracks, can fail due to technical glitches, power outages, or human errors.
✓Signalling failures can lead to trains running on the wrong track, colliding with other trains or stationary objects, or overshooting stations.
✓For example, the recent train accident in Odisha was reportedly caused by a change in electronic interlocking that was not communicated properly to the drivers.
➖Unmanned level crossings (UMLCs):
✓UMLCs are places where railway tracks crossroads without any barriers or signals to regulate traffic.
✓UMLCs pose a high risk of accidents as vehicles or pedestrians may not notice the approaching train or may try to cross the track when the train is near.
✓In 2018-19, UMLCs accounted for 16% of all train accidents in India.
✓The railways have eliminated all the unmanned level crossings (UMLCs) on broad gauge routes, but there are still many manned level crossings (MLCs) that pose a risk of accidents.
⁉️What has Railways Done to Reduce Accidents so far?
➖Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK):
✓ A safety fund for critical assets. It was established in 2017-18 with a corpus of Rs 1 lakh crore over a period of five years for critical safety related works such as track renewals, signalling projects, bridge rehabilitation, etc.