Who is accountable for railway safety?

Yet another train accident, this time involving the Mysuru-Darbhanga Express, has resulted in injuries to at least 19 persons, and again drawn attention to the safety problems dogging the railways. Thirteen coaches of the train derailed after it rammed into a stationary goods train, in an accident reminiscent of the one in Balasore in 2023 in which about 300 passengers died. The accident occurred at Kavarapetta in the Chennai-Gudur section. The presence of a brake van at the rear of the freight train and speed regulation near the Kavarapetta station prevented a  bigger disaster. A signalling failure is thought to have led to the accident, though it has to be confirmed by the investigations now under way. The railway authorities have launched a statutory investigation. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has also started one. Hopefully the actual reasons will be revealed soon.

Only a few weeks ago, an accident involving the Kanchanjunga Express in West Bengal resulted in nine people losing their lives. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has claimed that accidents have come down in the past 10 years, but they keep occurring, due to human or mechanical error, signalling problems, or other reasons. There is a growing impression that safety is not receiving the attention it deserves. The government is seen as prioritising high-speed and high-profile trains such as Vande Bharat and ignoring other trains in which ordinary passengers, who form the bulk of the traffic, travel. The deployment of the indigenously developed protection system, Kavach, is slow. The Comptroller and Auditor-General  (CAG) has pointed out that the spending on maintenance is low. The spending on track renewal and maintenance fell from 15% of the total revenue in 2022-23 to a projected 10% this year. 

As an organisation, Indian Railways employs the largest workforce in the country. But it is understaffed in critical areas. Over 18,000 posts for loco pilots and assistant loco pilots are reported to be lying vacant for years. The shortage of manpower puts more pressure on existing staff, forcing many of them to work longer shifts, increasing the chances of mistakes. Infrastructure in all areas needs to be improved and modernised and better management practices brought in. Railway projects need to be re-evaluated from the safety perspective, and reprioritised. The first and foremost task is to ensure the safety of passengers. It is unfortunate that accountability does not get the importance it deserves. Everyone, from the workers to the minister, should be held accountable for their actions, and that does not seem to be happening.