THERE is tall talk about laying new Railway lines in the country, especially in the Northeast. Even bullet trains are in the pipeline. Passenger fare and freight have been increased considerably over the past one year. But where is the main thing: safety? Six schoolchildren died and 16 others were injured as a speedy train knocked into a bus at an unmanned crossing in Mau near Varanasi. There is no doubt that one of the main problems with Indian Railways is that of unmanned level crossings. This is particularly true of the Northeastern states. Fatal accidents have increased in number owing to this hazard. They account for 40% of train accidents and 66% of deaths caused thereby. Unmanned crossings number around 11,560 in the country. This grim picture is a far cry from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream about bullet trains. Top priority should go to manning crossings and building overbridges or underbridges. Two years ago a high level committee recommended that unmanned level crossings should be manned within five years. Zonal managers got financial powers to achieve this goal.
Nevertheless, accidents go on happening and level crossings remain unmanned. Safety standards are not maintained. Add to it poor infrastructure, poor performance and lack of authorization at the operational level. Lack of resources cannot be the only reason as railway revenue has increased. Technology is the thing. Advance warning systems should be put in place, cleanliness inside trains and railway stations should be a must. Narendra Modi should be aware of the ground realities. Bullet trains can very well wait.
