Present Context of Railways Safety:
- Concerns mount among rail users in the wake of many railway accidents.
Major Train accident in 2023 and 2024:
- July 18, 2024: Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express derailment, Gonda, UP
- June 17, 2024: West Bengal train accident ( nine killed)
- June 2023: ( Odisha rail tragedy, Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express): Death about 290, and about 900 were injured.
- October 2023: Andhra Pradesh train collision
- October 2023: Bihar North East Express Derailment
- August 2023: Lucknow-Rameshwaram Bharat Gaurav train fire
Railways Safety Challenges:
- Negligence [ Most common causes] / Pilot stress/Human Led failure/
- Signalling failure: The slow rollout of the KAVACH system
- Defective tracks
- Vacancies
- Low investment in newer technologies
Government Initiatives to Improve Railways Safety:
- Closing of unmanned level crossing
- Regular track maintenance
- Installation of Kavach [ Indigenously developed automatic train protection [ATP] system]
- Installation of fire and smoke detection system in coach.
- Rashtriya Rail Suraksha Kosh[ Dedicated fund aimed to improve safety-related work systemically]
- Introduction of high-speed and ultra-high-speed lines.
- Electrification of railway lines
- Project Mission Raftar [ double speed for freight trains, 50 % increase of passenger train]
Way forward to improve Railways Safety:
- Fast installation of Kavach
- Automatic signalling
- More funds for track maintenance
- Pilot/employee health counseling
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