Three persons were killed and at least fifty were injured when nine coaches of the Guwahati based passenger dashed into an excavator on an unmanned level crossing about twenty five km west of Guwahati. The driver was killed instantaneously. The train was going from Bongaigon to Guwahati. On December 7, three persons were killed similarly at an unmanned level crossing. The accident this time was not caused by human error. But it highlights the fact that Indian Railways are not particularly safety conscious. One may ask why the level crossings are often left unmanned. The recent accident adds to the number of casualties on the track during the tenure of Dinesh Trivedi as Railway minister. The record of his predecessor, Mamata Banerjee was not satisfactory either. Yet Banerjee insists that Railways should be a Trinamul monopoly.
Dinesh Trivedi has met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking adequate financial support for the modernisation of the national transporter. He has prepared a blueprint for Railway modernisation involving an investment of Rs 14 lakh crores in the next ten years. It will cover automation of the signaling system, strengthening of the track and installation of safety devices to prevent accidents. Presently the Railways are facing a financial crunch. Money is not the only solution. What is more important is its proper utilisation. It is generally admitted that Mamata Banerjee as Railway Minister did not pay due attention to safety of passengers. Trivedi is Mamata Banerjee’s man on the spot and may not be expected to act on his own. The ten year scheme takes a long term view. In view of the political flux at the Centre, the next Railway Budget should be more relevant.