Just over a month after more than 150 people were killed and nearly 200 injured when Indore-Patna Express jumped off tracks near Kanpur, another train accident took place in central Uttar Pradesh today. Fifteen bogies of Sealdah-Ajmer Express derailed near Rura in Kanpur injuring over 40.
The train was crossing a canal when the coaches toppled off the old bridge. Most of the passengers were asleep but luckily the slow speed of the train prevented casualties.
Soon after the accident, the Railway Ministry did what it does after every such incident - "ordered a probe to ascertain the cause". What happens to reports of such probes is anybody's guess. While the number of files of such inquiries keep on increasing, the big question is why the Indian Railways, the third largest rail network in the world after US and China, has been struggling to improve its passenger safety record?
According to NCRB data, 28,360 train accidents took place in 2014. What's plaguing the Indian Railways?
BRITISH-ERA INFRASTRUCTURE
The concerned authorities are going full speed to visualise PM Modi's ambitious scheme of running bullet trains in India. India and Japan have already agreed on a fully-elevated bullet train corridor between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. The project would cost nearly Rs 10,000 crore.
Every Rail Budget, we see a long list of new trains being announced, keeping in view the 'sentiments' of the ruling party's vote bank. Sadly, passenger safety and security is last on priority.