Recent news of train derailments have caused great concern in the country. The rising frequency of the derailments is particularly disturbing, with the Railways Ministry criticised for its unpreparedness. What were the incidents of train derailments in the past month and why is the rate of train derailments increasing?

Date: August 19

Train: Utkal Express

Location: Khatauli, Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh

Casualties: 23 dead, over 100 injured

Read more: UP Train Derailment: Railway Station Officials ‘Unaware’ Of The Repair Work That Took At Least 23 Lives

Date: August 23

Train: Kaifiyat Express

Location: Auraiya, Uttar Pradesh

Casualties: Over 74 injured

Read more: After Rail Ministry’s Claim That Train Accidents Have Declined, Another Derailment In UP Injures 74

Date: August 25

Train: Local train

Location: Mahim station, Mumbai, Maharashtra

Casualties: Over 5 injured

Read more: Point failure caused derailment of Mumbai local train near Mahim, say officials

Date: August 29

Train: Duronto Express

Location: Between Asangaon and Vasind railway stations, Maharashtra

Casualties: No reported casualties

Read more: Maharashtra: 9 Coaches Of Duronto Express Derail; Third Derailment In 10 Days

Date: September 7

Train: Shaktipunj Express

Location: Sonbhadra district, Uttar Pradesh

Casualties: No reported casualties

Read more: 7 Coaches Of Shaktipunj Express Derail In UP, Third Such Incident In Less Than A Month

Date: September 7

Train: Ranchi-Delhi Rajdhani Express

Location: Shivaji Bridge station, Delhi

Casualties: One person injured

Read more: Rajdhani Express Coach Derails In New Delhi, No Injuries Reported

Date: September 7

Train: Goods train

Location: Khandala, Maharashtra

Casualties: No reported casualties

Read more: 3 Train Derailments In Less Than 10 Hours: Why Are India’s Trains Going Off Tracks?

Date: September 7

Train: Local train

Location: Basin Bridge yard, Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Casualties: No reported casualties

Read more: Train arrivals delayed at Chennai Central following locomotive derailment

Date: September 14

Train: Jammu Tawi-New Delhi Rajdhani Express

Location: New Delhi Railway station, Delhi

Casualties: No reported casualties

Read more: Jammu Rajdhani Express coach derails at New Delhi Railway Station

The Logical Indian take: Why are Indian trains going off track?

According to some news reports, train derailments in 2016-17 have led to the highest number of deaths in a decade. Over the past 10 years, there have been as many as 1,394 train accidents. Of these, 51% were due to derailments. During the tenure of the current NDA government, there have been at least 346 derailments.

Why are India’s trains going off tracks? The main reason for the increasing number of accidents is the huge gap between government’s promises and the ground reality. At the root of the problems is the financial crunch faced by Indian Railways with insufficient investments in the safety of passengers. (Analysis)

2016-17 was the year with the maximum number of deaths due to train accidents.

But the Railway authorities have hardly learnt from past mistakes.

The underlying questions remain – what are the safety measures taken for the passengers after repeated mishaps of train derailment? What is really ailing the Indian railways?

Most accidents are met with oft-repeated reactions like “Strict action shall be taken against the guilty,” and so on. Days pass, inquiry commissions submit reports to assess which accident has had the most damaging effect, unless another case of derailment again makes it to the headlines.

Who is to be blamed? The government? The railway ministry? Or the poor state of infrastructure? The Indian Railways are treated as a GDP-churning-asset, capable of transporting people and freight. Hardly any attention is paid to the aspect of safety of the passengers travelling by the railways. Where does the factor of accountability lie?

The Indian Railway has lost its focus on operations. It runs as an organisation systematically managed by successive governments THAT lack the understanding of the organisation’s potential.

The Logical Indian community urges the government to look into the matter of railway safety on a priority basis and make sure that such fatal mishaps are avoided.

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