Passenger safety issues raised as railway officials brief parliamentary panel

New Delhi: The issue of recent train accidents and overall passenger safety was raised at a parliamentary panel meeting on Wednesday, with some opposition members questioning the "delay" in rolling out 'Kavach', an automatic train protection system.

Officials representing the railway ministry assured the members of the Estimates Committee, which is headed by BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal, that the government has been taking a series of steps to ensure that the vast network of Indian railways will have world-class safety measures in place by 2030, sources said.

All trains will have anti-collision LHB coaches by that time, they said.

Some members, the sources said, questioned the officials over recent cases of train accidents and wondered if sabotage was behind them.

An opposition MP asked why the ministry does not acquire land in advance for doubling the tracks knowing well that it will be done in future as the land acquisition process later often delays projects.

Officials added that the rate of doubling of rail tracks has doubled in the past 10 years.