India’s Rail Safety Requires Ministry’s Attention, For No More Accidents Like Kanpur Train Tragedy

Indore-Patna Express train derailed on Sunday and left 143 dead and more than 200 injured. The accident occurred on Sunday at around 3 am, near Pukhrayan area in Kanpur Dehat district. It is said to be the worst train derailment accident in last 5 years, with so many deaths and injuries. The main reason behind the derailment of 12 coaches of the train is said to be, rail fracture. However, as per one of the officials, another train passed through the site, safely, just 9 minutes before the Indore-Patna Express. The rescuers have called off the search at the site, as of now.

Rail Fracture occurs when a small crack turns into a large one, majorly due to the excess weight and pressure of the bogie. Rail fractures majorly happen in a season when there is a considerable amount of difference between the maximum and minimum temperature, in a day,as they cause the railway tracks to expand and contract. It was also said, the train was carrying more passengers than what it is expected to, as it is a weekly train with more than 300 people on the waiting list this week.

Poor maintenance of the tracks is also a major reason behind the turning of small cracks into the separation of tracks, and all of this has once again shed light on public safety while travelling by Indian Railways. The number of train derailments has massively increased in the last 5 years. Kanpur train tragedy, came just days after a derailed train in Jodhpur, in which 12 passengers were injured. While the results were not as massive as this one, it is essential to notice that one of the most well-structured corporation in the country, on which millions of people are dependent, is slowly and steadily moving towards a risky choice of transportation.

Senior Railway Ministry source said that the routine safety drills in railways have taken a backseat in the recent times, plus there are over 1 lakh vacancies in the safety department. Track monitoring in the country is done manually by 2,00,000 trackmen, also known as gang men, whose work is to maintain the tracks as well as check them for any kind of defects. These trackmen carry 15 kilos of an instrument on their backs and walk for 5 km every day, for the checking process, which is a hard as well as a dangerous work. An average of 300 trackmen die every year while performing their work along with an immense pressure of keeping an eye on each and every railway track.

However, it is more than an appropriate time to move on to a much more technology-oriented solution for tracking deteriorated tracks, by the trackmen. The railway authorities are working with Indian Institute of Technology – Madras, to develop an automated detection system, which can be a relief for the workers. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu launched a Track Monitoring System where the information regarding track monitoring and temperature has been stored. However, it is said that the new system is not available to the safety wing.

Here is a list of derailment accidents, that occurred in the last 4 months.

19 November 2016: Bhatinda-Jodhpur trains derails with 12 injured.

5 October 2016: Jammutawi-Pune Jhelum Express derails, with no passenger injured

20 September 2016: Goods train derailed at Karunagappalli Station near Kollam, none injured.

28 August 2016: 12 coaches of Thiruvananthapuram-Mangalore Express derailed, none injured.

These were some cases of the derailment of trains in India in recent months, and Kanpur train tragedy is said to be the worst accident in last 5 years.

All of these accidents shift our focus to the need of improvement in Indian Railway’s safety checks as well as mechanisms used by them.

News Source: Scroll.in, Indian Express and Hindustan Times.

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21 November 2016
Jyotsna Amla