One of India’s biggest train tragedies occurred in early June when the Coromandel Express and two other trains collided in the Balasore region of Odisha, killing at least 290 passengers.
Source: The Quint
The accident was supposed to serve as a wake-up call for the Railways to improve rail safety, but it doesn’t appear that any lessons have been taken away. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Rajya Sabha in December of last year that the Railways had created an automatic train protection system, known as Kavach, in-house to minimise mishaps brought on by human error.
He also stated that the system was being introduced gradually. Concerns have been expressed concerning the speed at which Kavach is being deployed on different routes throughout the nation, in addition to its dependability.
Source: The Indian Express
The government’s dedication to modernising the Railways has been exemplified by the introduction of the PSU-built Vande Bharat and Alstom-manufactured Namo Bharat trains; however, the significance of robust safety protocols cannot be stressed. Travellers and commuters are impressed with clean, well-maintained railway stations as well as swift, efficient trains.
But in the end, what they really want is to get where they’re going in comfort and safety. Infrastructure upgrades and the quick elimination of bottlenecks are essential. Every incident should have a prompt, comprehensive investigation that determines the responsible officials. A careless handling of the nation’s lifeline is a surefire way to end up in tragedy after calamity.
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