If it’s not fatal train accidents caused by collisions, then it’s derailments that have been haunting the Indian Railways in recent times. Both freight and passenger trains have been increasingly involved in such incidents, raising serious alarms about the state of the railway infrastructure.

Train derailments occur when a train runs off its tracks, leading to disastrous outcomes, including loss of life, injuries, and significant disruption to transportation networks. These incidents also inflict considerable economic losses. Several factors contribute to the occurrence of derailments in India.

REASONS FOR TRAIN DERAILMENTS

One of the primary reasons for train derailments is the poor maintenance of tracks and infrastructure. Many of the railway tracks in India are old and outdated, leading to wear and tear that significantly increases the risk of derailments.

Other contributing factors include improper alignment, lack of effective signaling systems, and inadequate maintenance of critical structures like bridges and tunnels.

Overcrowding and overloading of trains further exacerbate the situation. India’s railway network is among the busiest in the world, with millions of passengers and tons of freight being transported daily.

Overcrowded trains put additional stress on the tracks and rolling stock, making them more prone to accidents. Similarly, the overloading of goods trains beyond their capacity can lead to derailments due to the excessive weight and strain on the tracks.

Human error also plays a significant role in the occurrence of train derailments in India. Factors such as driver fatigue, inadequate training, and negligence are often cited in accident investigations. In some cases, signal failures or communication errors among railway staff contribute to these tragic events.

Natural factors like extreme weather conditions, landslides, and floods also pose a threat to train safety. Heavy rainfall, for instance, can weaken tracks, causing them to buckle and lead to derailments. Landslides and floods can damage infrastructure, making tracks unsafe for train operations.

IMPACT OF TRAIN DERAILMENTS

The impact of train derailments is severe, resulting in loss of lives, injuries, damage to rolling stock, and disruption of train services. The consequences are particularly significant when derailments occur on busy routes or involve high-speed trains.

In the past two months alone, several derailments have made headlines. In Jharkhand’s Seraikela-Kharsawan district, 18 coaches of the Mumbai-Howrah Express derailed, resulting in the deaths of two people and injuries to more than 20 others.

In West Bengal’s New Jalpaiguri, two wagons of a goods train derailed. While no injuries were reported, this incident occurred at the same location where the fatal Kanchenjunga accident killed nine people near Rangapani station.

A goods train also derailed in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, during the early hours of the day. The incident, which occurred at 1:35 am in the railway yard at Mancheswar station, has raised further concerns about the safety of the railway network.

In Uttar Pradesh, several coaches of the Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express derailed between Motiganj and Jhulahi railway stations in Gonda district, killing at least four people and injuring around 30 others. Out of the 21 derailed coaches, five AC coaches were derailed just a few kilometers before reaching Jhulahi railway station.

These incidents, all reported between June and July 2024, underscore the pressing need for improved safety measures and infrastructure maintenance within the Indian Railways.

EXPERTS CALL FOR COMPREHENSIVE REFORMS

Experts argue that a lack of political will and skewed priorities have contributed to the deteriorating state of India’s railway infrastructure. Alok Verma, a former bureaucrat and retired chief engineer of the Indian Railways, criticised the focus on secondary and tertiary routes at the expense of the main trunk routes, which carry 80 per cent of the country’s rail traffic.

“Indian Railways’ main trunk routes on the quadrilateral and its diagonals linking Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata carry 80% of the rail traffic of the country. But no new lines have been added to the existing lines on these trunk routes for the last two decades. In contrast, a number of expressways are being added to the existing National Highway on these routes,” Verma pointed out.

“The railway budget allocation for capacity expansion goes in doubling the tracks and gauge conversions on the secondary and tertiary routes that do not generate so much traffic as the main trunk routes,” he said.

Furthermore, Verma also drew a comparison with China, highlighting how India has added only 5,000 kilometers of new railway lines since 1995, while China has expanded its network by 90,000 kilometers.

“Rising accidents on Indian railways are indicative of a failing system where congestion on the existing network is leading to compromises in critical track inspections and maintenance. The CAG report, which highlighted the alarming frequency of track, signaling, and other asset failures, seems to have not led to sufficient soul-searching,” he said.

“The report gives data that shows more than 1 lakh signal failure instances and thousands of track, rolling stock, and other asset failures in railways annually. What is the point of spending Rs 50,000 crores on creating airport-like station buildings?” Verma questioned.

Sudhanshu Mani, former GM of Integral Coach Factory and a railway expert, sheds light on the limitations of technological interventions like the Kavach system in preventing derailments.

“Whether it (Kavach) would eliminate a case of derailment? No, it would not because a derailment occurs due to a defect in track or the vehicle and not because of a signaling error unless it is a derailment induced by a signal over-shooting or by signaling error. A mid-section derailment is mainly because of this. Hence, Kavach would not eliminate that. To eliminate such failures and move towards zero accidents, the use of AI (artificial intelligence) has to be thought of,” Mani explained.