On 2nd June 2023, a tragic train accident happened in Balasore District, Odisha.
Coromandel Express traveling at 128 Kilometers per hour got diverted on to the loop track instead of passing through on the up line. This was a point failure. Instead of going straight, it rammed at full speed into a stationary goods train that had been put in the siding to allow Coromandel Express to pass through.
In the accident, that derailed Coromandel Express, more than 294 people (official count) lost their lives.
It is one of the worst train disasters in the world.
The news about the disaster quickly disappeared from the mainstream media. No minister of the government resigned because of this tragedy.
The accident also affected another train that was passing on the down line but luckily no passenger on that train died.
What is shocking is that the people responsible for safety of trains had been raising the possibility of such a failure with their seniors but to no avail.
What is also shocking is that Indian Railways, once one of the biggest employer in the country employing more than 1 Million Indians, is having more than 3,50,000 vacancies in its cadre.
The CAG has been raising concerns about the poor spending of the railways on safety and has been pointing out in its reports that money meant for safety is being spent on other things.
The CAG has also pointed out that the railways has inadequate staff for maintenance and safety.
Yet, no official in the ministry was found guilty of allowing the railways to slip into this mess.
Soon it will be almost three months since the accident but it seems no lessons have been learnt. Accidents continue to happen across the Indian railways map. Trains that are supposed to be high speed are running at sub-optimal speeds all because the tracks and signalling system is not in proper shape.
Our Government is flagging off new trains with much fanfare but a much touted system called the ACD (Anti Collision Device) is yet to be installed on all the trains and sectors where these trains operate.
While it is great to see modern trains that are being introduced across the country, one wonders how safe are these trains when the underlying system itself is not being properly maintained and signalling system is on the verge of collapse for want of funds.