While Narendra Modi’s government attempts to sugarcoat all of its failures with lofty slogans and big money, its negligence on all fronts in the Railways sector–from lack of employees, freezing recruitment to not providing funds–has cost a lot of lives.
India has witnessed several train accidents in the past decade, attributed to various factors such as mechanical failures and human negligence.
Below is a summary of some significant incidents, their causes and the official responses (other than the latest Kanchanjunga Express derailment on June 17):
1. Gorakhdham Express, 2014: On May 26, 2014, the Gorakhdham Express derailed on the Hisar-Gorakhpur route in Uttar Pradesh, causing 11 coaches to derail. Manoj Sinha, then Minister of State for Railways, reported that the locomotive rear-ended a stationary goods train at Chureb station due to a “fracture of tongue rail”, which was classified as ‘Failure of Equipment’. The accident resulted in 29 deaths and over 70 injuries. A 2016 government report highlighted the need for thorough investigations into rail failures.
2. Janata Express, 2015: The Varanasi-Dehradun Janata Express overshot a signal at Bachhrawan station in Uttar Pradesh on March 20, 2015, leading to a crash and derailment. A Railways spokesperson attributed the accident to a braking failure. The Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) recommended stricter implementation of brake system certifications to ensure safety. The incident resulted in 39 fatalities and 150 injuries.
3. Indore-Patna Express, 2016: On November 20, 2016, 14 coaches of the Indore-Patna Express derailed in Kanpur Dehat district, Uttar Pradesh, claiming 152 lives. The 2020 CRS report cited a sudden mechanical failure, where a corroded welding part fell onto the track, causing the derailment.
4. Hirakhand Express, 2017: On January 21, 2017, the Hirakhand Express derailed at Kuneru station in Andhra Pradesh, leading to 40 deaths and over 50 injuries.
5. Jalandhar-Amritsar DMU, Amritsar-Howrah Express, 2018: On October 19, 2018, nearly 60 people were killed after two trains mowed down a crowd watching Dussehra celebrations near Amritsar in Punjab. Around 300 people had gathered on the tracks to watch the fireworks.
6. Seemanchal Express, 2019: A rail fracture led to the derailment of the Seemanchal Express in Bihar’s Vaishali district on February 3, 2019. The accident resulted in seven deaths and numerous injuries, with nine coaches derailing near Sahdei-Buzurg station.
7. Freight train accident near Aurangabad, 2020: On May 8, 2020, a freight train accidentally killed 16 migrant workers sleeping on the tracks near Aurangabad. The locomotive pilot saw the workers but was unable to stop in time.
8. Bikaner-Guwahati Express, 2022: On January 13, 2022, 12 coaches of the Bikaner-Guwahati Express derailed in Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district, resulting in 10 deaths and over 40 injuries.
9. Triple train collision, 2023: A tragic triple-train collision involving the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express, Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express and a goods train on June 2, 2023, led to at least 293 deaths, marking one of the worst railway accidents in India.
The Kanchanjunga Express derailment in Bengal on the morning of June 17 is the tenth and latest major railway accident during Narendra Modi’s regime.
These incidents underscore the critical need for improved safety measures, regular maintenance and thorough investigations to prevent future tragedies.
