Train disaster that shocked the country

The nation has not yet recovered from the shock of the train accident that took place at Bahanaga Bazar station in Odisha's Balasore district on Friday evening. It is reported that 261 passengers died in the horrific accident involving two express trains and a goods train. About 700 people are injured and are in hospitals. Most of them are seriously injured. The death toll is expected to rise. It is an achievement that the extremely difficult rescue mission at the accident site was completed by Saturday afternoon. Various mission teams participated in the rescue operations without fail and completed the mission admirably. Now the focus is to identify the bodies of those who lost their lives in the accident and hand them over to their relatives. Those battling with death in hospitals need to be given the best possible treatment to bring them back to life. Along with dozens of doctors and hospital staff, there are expert teams from outside the state as well. The prayers of the entire nation are with the victims and their families.

Odisha's Balasore on Friday witnessed the country's worst train disaster since the Jnaneshwar Express derailment in Bengal on May 28, 2010, which killed 148 people. After the Jnaneshwar Express derailment, many measures were taken to make train travel safer. Successive governments have also taken interest in carrying forward the 'Kavach' security scheme which was started during Manmohan Singh's regime. The 'Kavach' project aims at a system of self-stopping of trains when they come head-to-head on the same track. Officials including the present Railway Minister and Railway Chairman completed the successful trial of 'Kavach' by traveling in trains that were running head-to-head. A huge amount was also allocated in the rail budget to install this system in all high-speed trains. However, it is understood that this system was not present in the two express that were involved in the accident in Odisha. Both the express trains were running at a speed of more than 100 kmph at the time of the accident.
Efforts are underway to find the cause of the accident, which will go down as one of the worst days in the history of Indian Railways. A high-level inquiry has also been announced. At first, there was a suspicion that human error, which often happens, is what led to the accident. Goods trains were lying on the tracks at both ends at Bahanaga Bazar station, which has four tracks. The express train from Yeshwantpur to Howrah rammed into a parked goods train and derailed. The Chennai-bound Coromandel Express rammed into the bogies scattered on the track. The real reason will be known only after the high-level investigation is completed. Things are in such a state that human errors cannot be ignored.
Train travel in the country is now much safer, due to security measures taken over time. The Railway Department is also giving great importance to modernization activities.

There is demand from all states for Vandebharat, the new high-speed train. Along with increasing the speed of trains, safety standards also need to increase tenfold. Major accidents emphasize the need to increase safety. High-speed trains are the need of the hour. Along with that, the technical systems should also be flawless. Rails should be strong enough for high-speed trains to run. The signal system should be modernized.
The Odisha accident has once again raised many questions about safe train travel. It is natural to ask why a second accident could not be prevented in time when one accident already occurred in the same place. If the reason is the error in giving the signal, then there should be people who are responsible for it as well. It must also be ascertained whether the accident was caused intentionally. There are some who do not hesitate to carry out any kind of sabotage for election purposes. Neither the lives of passengers nor the grief of their families matters to them.
Some in the opposition have started clamoring for the resignation of departmental minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in the wake of the train accident. How childish are these kinds of reactions? What kind of politics is it to ask for the resignation of the minister of the department, without trying to help the bereaved and to stand with the victims at least in spirit, when there is a tragedy like this which has shocked the entire country? The Railway Minister had reached the spot to lead the rescue operations and console the victims. Not only the Railway Minister but also Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee rushed to the scene of the accident. Tamil Nadu has declared a day of official mourning. There was a huge crowd of locals in front of the hospitals in Balasore to donate blood to the train passengers who were injured and hospitalized. These are all direct evidences of how people forget everything and stand with the bereaved during a calamity.
Dozens of train services across the country were canceled due to the accident. Many trains were halted without reaching their destination. Efforts are underway to restore train services, including at the site of the accident. May those efforts bear fruit soon.