The Hindu : Safety derailed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 05, 2003

Opinion

Opinion - Editorials

Safety derailed

WITH THE FOURTH major rail accident since April 1, the Indian Railways has a serious problem on hand. It is not just that its safety record is taking a beating. The derailment at Warangal, which claimed 21 lives, has raised several questions on `human failure'. The fire in the Frontier Mail perhaps came from a stove a passenger was using; the derailment on the Konkan Railway was caused by a landslide with a boulder on the track; and the other derailment near Bellary might have to do with the pointsman or keyman. But in Warangal, earlier this week, the engine crew sped past the station, a scheduled halt for the train, at 70 kmph. The engine fell off the track above a subway and killed some who were travelling in an autorickshaw. What the Railway authorities have succeeded in doing is confusing the public on how the accident occurred. Given the location, Warangal, there was first some speculation about sabotage by extremists. Next, the authorities `suspected' it to be a case of brake failure. The enquiry by the Commissioner of Railway Safety should find out why the driver sped away without stopping at Warangal and how he could speed along at 70 kmph at that point. One prompt action that the Railway administration took this time was to suspend six officials, including the Divisional Mechanical Engineer.

The Indian Railways claims a steady decline in the number of accidents. But major tragedies such as the Konkan landslide or the Warangal derailment negate these arguments. A White Paper on Safety on Indian Railways states that 75 per cent of the accidents on the system are due to derailments, which account for 14 per cent of the deaths in railway accidents. Second, but a distant second in the list of causes is made up by accidents at unmanned level crossings; these contribute to 12 per cent of accidents but account for 37 per cent of the deaths. The Railways admit that `human failure' is responsible for most of the accidents. Unfortunately, railway officials tend to pre-judge the issue and pass the verdict even before the statutory enquiry by the Safety Commissioner is done. To ensure a degree of transparency and accountability, the Railways must release the reports of these Safety Commissioners and initiate the required follow up action on its findings or recommendations.

It is one thing to argue that the Indian Railways carries 14 million passengers every day, traverses two million train km, and operates 8,700 passenger trains plus 5,700 freight trains. Given these impressive operational statistics, a stray accident here or there may seem `inevitable' for the railway administration. But the accidents are enough to undo the work of the system. When the authorities know that derailment and human failure are the main culprits, they have to pay more attention to these problems. The special safety fund of Rs. 17,000 crores must be optimally utilised to take care of maintenance needs, track renewal, modernisation of signals and above all training and re-training of personnel. Preventive maintenance, track patrolling, health and fitness of the crew and above all their time of response to a crisis are the critical factors that cry for attention. The engine crew, the station staff and those patrolling the tracks or manning the level crossings for instance need to be alert and fully fit for the responsibilities they shoulder. Their health and habits have to be continuously monitored.

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