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Indian Railways currently operates the fourth largest railway network in the world. On June 20, 2024, an eight-coach train reached Reasi station for the first time on a trial run from Sangaldan in Ramban, crossing the world's highest railway arch bridge over the Chenab River in Reasi district. The bridge is 359 meters high and 1.3 kilometers long over the Chenab River. The Government of India and the Ministry of Railways have set a target to connect Kashmir with the country by the end of this year.
It is a different matter that just three days before this, on June 17, a freight train collided with the Sealdah-Agartala Kanchenjunga Express near Rangapani railway station in Darjeeling district of West Bengal, in which 15 people were killed and about 80 people were injured. The train was going from Agartala in Tripura to Sealdah in West Bengal and stopped at some distance after passing through Rangapani station. Meanwhile, at 8:42 am, a freight train was coming from behind on the same railway line, which collided with the standing train, causing this accident.
According to the Chairman of the Railway Board, the goods train broke several signals, while according to railway sources, some technical fault in the automatic signal could also be the reason for the accident. Anti-collision system was not installed in both these trains. It is worth noting that the Suraksha Kavach system (anti-collision device) was launched in March 2020. According to this, when two trains come on the same line, the trains will automatically stop at a fixed distance.
It was said at that time that rail accidents are now a thing of the past. According to experts, only through this system can the collision of trains coming face to face be prevented. This is an automatic train protection system developed by the Research Design and Standards Organization which is a sensor-based self-activated system. This system does not work if it is not in any one train. Therefore, it is necessary to have this system in both the trains coming on the same railway line, only then this system will be activated and the accident can be prevented.
In March 2022, it was tested by driving two people connected to Kavach on the same line, which both the people stopped themselves at a distance of 290 meters from each other. Earlier on Sunday, 25 February 2024, a freight train with 53 coaches from Kathua in Jammu ran on the railway line without a driver for about 80 km at a speed of 90 km per hour and stopped at the High Bus Station of Hoshiarpur. Punjab. The driver of this freight train got down to drink tea at Kathua station leaving the engine of the train running and the train started on its own. After the video of this incident went viral, the railway administration was shocked and there was a lot of discussion on social media.
Despite running on the railway track for one and a half hours without a driver, it was fortunate that there was no loss of life. Now let's talk about the accident between three trains in Balasore, Odisha. On June 2, 2023, a freight train, another Coromandel Express and the third Howrah-Bangalore Superfast Express collided near Bahanaga railway station in Balasore, killing about 296 people and injuring more than 1200 passengers. According to initial investigation, the accident occurred due to changes in electronic interlocking and point machines. This system works on the basis of artificial intelligence.
It is worth noting that this train running at a speed of 128 kmph was not supposed to stop at the said station. The signal was green but due to some technical reason, the signal suddenly changed and the Coromandel Express went from the main line to the loop line where a goods train was already standing. Due to which this train collided with the goods train running behind it. Due to the high speed of the train, 21 coaches derailed and three coaches overturned towards the main line.
After this, Yeshwantpur (Bangalore Howrah Superfast) Express train going from there to Chennai also got caught in the accident. The lack of safety cover system on this track also caused the accident. This rail accident was the third biggest rail accident in the country in the last three decades. There were about 2000 passengers in both these trains.
On 26 November, 1998, at 3.15 am, a major railway accident occurred at Kauri village near Khanna when six coaches of the Frontier Mail going from Amritsar to Delhi derailed and overturned on another railway line. Meanwhile, the Jammu Tawi Sealdah Express coming from Kolkata collided with the wagons of the Frontier Mail and a terrible accident occurred.
2500 passengers were travelling in these trains while about 212 people died in the accident. During these days, I also had to come to Sirhind after giving the paper from Bidar. We travelled from Bidar to Bangalore and here home was waiting for us. Although I had to get down at Sirhind railway station before Khanna, but family members would have bad thoughts that I did not go further while sleeping in the train. At that time, my family members also went to Kauri railway station to look for me. After a day or two, when I reached home safely, family members were surprised.
He spent almost six months of his life in trains in his five decades as he had to travel for two or three days from Punjab to Karnataka two or three times a year to study in Bidar district of Karnataka. Trains are considered cheap, comfortable and safe travel. Then why do train accidents happen again and again? Why do we escape our duties or responsibilities by forming inquiry committees every time?