Derailments in India
Indian Railways is the most sophisticated and the largest network in the World. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi came from Japan, people were talking a lot about the bullet train. Not long after that many witnessed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe laying the foundation stone for the bullet train project.
However, what many people failed to notice is that on that very day, the Jammu Tawi-New Delhi Rajdhani Express derailed. People have failed to understand the extremity of the situation at hand. This was reported to be the ninth derailment in India in a period of 27 days. How absurd is this?
This so-called bullet train project is expected to cost around Rs. 1,10,000 crores, but the failing safety standards and the underinvestment in our present railways are not taken care of. Is this what the public deserve? You can also read about how the Shiv Sena Party slammed the bullet train project saying that it isn’t the common man’s dream in Railway News section.
Derailments Explained: The Statistics
While India sits and boasts about having the largest passenger system in the world, it should also take note of the fact that there were 78 derailments in India in 2016-2017. These derailments have reported having over 193 million people dead, the most in the last decade.
While there has been a decrease in the number of train accidents in this period, the increase in derailments clearly show us the undernourished state of the Indian Railways.
The first half of 2017 has witnessed a whopping 29 train accidents out of which 10 were only derailments. These took the lives of 39 people and injured around 54. These were the facts given in Lok Sabha on July 19. 2017.
If we look at the last decade, there have been around 1,394 train accidents out of which 708 i.e., 51 percent were only derailments in India. These have taken the lives of 458 individuals.
The Reason for Derailments in India
Many sources have reported that many track failures and the subsequent derailments in India have been caused by underinvestment in the Indian Railways. The New Delhi railway station, the busiest station in the country has seen the largest number of derailments.
What the officials Said
The officials say that the matter has been sent for investigation and that there will be a report soon. However, a similar incident in the last few months occurred which also was kept for investigation. The report was not given till date. When asked, they have said that the investigation has been scaled to a higher official.
Many responsible citizens are questioning whether the bullet train project is right for the country when its present railways are in such a dire state. While we may or may not be able to change the status of the bullet train project, all we ask is why is the state of the Railways like this.
Final Verdict on Derailment
While this may sound partial, there has been an immense increase in the number of derailments in India after Modi took power. While the bullet train project might be good for the country’s ties with Japan, what good will it do for the common man? What good will it do for a farmer who cannot afford to travel in Bullet train?
All we ask is to improve the condition of our present Railways and to make life easier for the common man. While we may not be able to see the fate of our Railways right now, make sure you stay tuned to NTES for all the latest information.
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