Rail passenger safety remains a burning issue

The gruesome tragedy aboard the Bangalore-Nanded Express that claimed at least 26 lives, when one of the train’s air-conditioned coaches caught fire on Saturday, has once again brought concerns of rail passenger safety to the forefront. Even though Indian Railways operates some 9,000 passenger trains, carries approximately 18 million passengers every day and is the only affordable mode of transportation that effectively connects every corner of the country, it is appalling that something as fundamental as passenger safety is blatantly ignored. Apologists often claim that the Railways is poorly funded and that affects safety provisions. This is a convenient half-truth. While the Railways is not exactly awash in funds, yet, money allotted for security purposes remains under-utilised. According to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor-General, `670 crore in the safety fund for 2012-2013 was untouched. Moreover, there have also been advisory committees and investigative studies galore, and each one of them have put forth a multitude of recommendations to improve the safety situation — from firming up regulatory mechanisms and giving more autonomy to Indian Railways to more specific advice on fire safety measures, for instance. In fact, a high-profile safety review committee, headed by Mr Anil Kakodkar, had pointed out the need for emergency exits and better evacuation plans in case a bogey catches fire. Had these been implemented, perhaps some of the lives that were snuffed out on Saturday because passengers could not find their way out of the hell fire, may have been saved. Unfortunately, the Kakodkar Committee report (and others like it) has been gathering dust, even as scores of lives are lost every year in train accidents that happen with alarming frequency.

Such is the situation now that even the people seem to have accepted train mishaps, no matter how tragic, as routine. Note how there is almost no public outrage over the Bangalore-Nanded Express accident. Yet, this is the fourth major incident that has been reported from Andhra Pradesh alone, in a span of less than two years. Only 18 months ago, the Tamil Nadu Express was involved in a similar accident that killed 32 people. An electrical fault sparked that fire last year and preliminary reports suggest that a short circuit may have set ablaze the ill-fated Bangalore-Nanded Express. However, there have also been reports that the fire was caused by inflammable materials (which would explain the extent of damage), probably being carried illegally by a passenger. If this was the case, then the train conductor and security personnel must be taken to task for dereliction of duty. Finally, there have also been indications that the fire was deliberately caused. Some have wondered why such incidents happen only during the night when the power load is minimum. Each of these scenarios must be investigated closely and hopefully, preventive measures will be put in place.