Train tragedy: People wait for answers

The horrendous triple train tragedy in Balasore, Odisha has left the whole nation numbed and shocked, with almost 300 people already having lost their lives and more than a thousand in hospitals being treated for their injuries.

With railway minister Ashwini Vaishnav hinting at tampering of the electronic interlocking system. We will have to wait for the report of the inquiry to come out before arriving at a conclusion on the reason for the accident which is considered the worst in the past thirty years.

There have been instances in the past of trains falling off bridges in stormy weather and of trains colliding head-on but with the advancement in technology and the digitisation of functioning of the railways, people had expected such major mishaps to come down.

In fact it seems incomprehensible how three trains could be involved in a disastrous collision in this manner with even sabotage not being ruled out. Questions have also been raised on why anti-collision devices have not been installed on these stretches which could have helped in averting such mishaps.

Running the railway network in the country is no easy task; statistics say that the Indian railways carried a staggering 800 crore people in its trains in 2022 with 8500 trains running daily. The country has the fourth largest railway system in the world and is probably the most viable and cheapest mode of transport for most citizens.

When something goes wrong in one part of this colossal rail network, it affects the entire country as it happened on Friday and Saturday when hundreds of trains had to be cancelled or diverted after the Balasore mishap.

The loss of lives is also pretty high in most railway accidents considering the speed at which trains travel and the number of passengers they carry. This renders hi-tech safety measures all the more important.

Full scale electrification and modernisation efforts are yet to be achieved in several states and this calls for a comprehensive and all-out effort to get the railways into the hi-tech mode. There is also a constant push for faster trains to enable passengers reach their destinations speedily but this will have to be complemented with measures to improve the tracks.

 So along with initiatives to make the railways environmental friendly by reducing carbon emissions, urgent measures should be initiated to infuse trust in every Indian relying on trains that his or her life is safe. Massive infusion of funds and technology is needed to modernize railway safety systems for every Indian’s life is precious and no effort should be spared to make our railways at part with the best in the world.

Ironically, Ashwini Vaishnav, a former IAS officer, who is currently serving as the railway minister, is also holding charge of pivotal ministries like communications, electronics and Information Technology.

Considering how crucial a ministry like railways is to the fortunes of people across the country, one can’t help wondering why a full-fledged minister cannot be assigned the portfolio. There are several questions which are begging for answers and people are hoping that the Central government will come up with some convincing answers on why this massive tragedy could not be averted.