Many of the deadliest train accidents are happening around the world. In India, too, train accidents have taken many lives. The train is a reliable, safe, and cheaper source of travel for millions of passengers in India, and the modernization of Indian Railways made it a pleasant journey experience for Indian passengers. However, train accidents are still happening, and human lives are lost. In Jharkhand state, India, a train accident occurred on February 28, 2024, and several people are said to have been injured or died in the accident. However, the exact number is not completely clear.
The Accident: The First Train Accident in 2024
At Kalajharia Railway Station, a train ran over passengers crossing the tracks. There are reports that passengers from a train were trying to escape "fire" on board an express train and crossing the tracks when another train hit them. However, Eastern Railways CPRO denied it and mentioned that two people who crossed the tracks were not passengers. Indian Railways has set up a 3-member committee to probe the incident.
Casualties and Modernization: Where is Safety?
Indian railways are trying hard to attract new passengers to travel on them with various measures, including introducing new modern trains like the Vande Bharat. They not only provide passengers with luxurious travel but also quick travel. The traffic on train tracks with the advent of new trains has become huge.
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Vande Bharat
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Under the present government in India, there has been a renewed effort to improve several tracks and railway infrastructure. From 2014 to 2023, 25434 new railway tracks were laid. With a focus on decongesting, Indian railways have planned 1 lakh kilometres of tracks in the next 25 years. The budget allocated for the present fiscal year is 2.4 lakh crore, the highest-ever allocation.
For the fiscal year 2022–23, Indian Railways got 1.37 lakh crore of budget. In 2019, the Indian government launched the Vande Bharat train, and 42 trains are running. It looks like there is no compromise on modernizing railways, but sadly, even one of the deadliest train accidents also happened during the period. On June 2, 2023, three trains collided in Odisha, and 296 people were killed and 1200 injured. A detailed investigation report is yet to come. Where is the budget for the safety of passengers included?
Where is decongestion inside train compartments?
The traffic on Indian railways is always high as Indian Railways is the most sought-after mode of transport in India. But, the number of bogies (coaches) and non-luxury trains increased is minimal, whereas demand is enormous.
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general-compartment in Indian Train
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Even in reservation compartments, unreserved passengers throng in because of coaches' unavailability. This situation is uncomfortable for everyone travelling on the train. There is an urgent need to decongest Indian train compartments by increasing bogies (compartments) and the number of trains.
Indian railways must sit together and address people's concerns. Everyone is happy with the modernization of Indian railways; however, safety and comfortable travel are the top priorities of Indian railway passengers. The rail minister must address the issue soon.