essay on train accidents

Paragraph on Train Accident

Students are often asked to write a paragraph on Train Accident in their schools. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 200-word, and 250-word paragraphs on the topic.

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Paragraph on Train Accident in 100 Words

A train accident is when a train crashes or does something it’s not supposed to do, like come off the tracks. This can happen for many reasons, like if something is on the tracks or the train is going too fast. These accidents can be very sad because people can get hurt or even die. That’s why it’s super important for trains to be checked often to make sure they are safe to ride. People who drive the trains have to be very careful too. We all hope that train rides are safe because lots of people use them to go to different places.

Paragraph on Train Accident in 200 Words

If there is an accident, rescue workers, like firefighters and doctors, come quickly to help anyone who is hurt and make sure everyone is safe. It’s important for trains to go at the right speed and for everyone to follow safety rules to prevent accidents. People also use signs and signals to tell the train drivers when to stop or go. Train companies learn from accidents to make trains even safer in the future. While train rides are fun and accidents are rare, it’s always good to be careful and pay attention to safety when riding on a train.

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Train Derailments and Collisions

By Leonard Lederman

Since the earliest days of railroads, collisions and derailments have been a constant danger for both passengers and railroad workers. Large-scale disasters have been relatively rare in the Philadelphia region, despite its important role in railroad operation and development. However, news coverage, public outrage, and government intervention resulting from rail accidents around the country forced prominent companies such the Pennsylvania Railroad to adopt new safety technologies and regulations to ease public fears, restore efficiency, and increase daily traffic. Accidents highlighted failures or absences of railroad safety measures locally and across the United States.

Collisions and derailments occurred despite ongoing efforts to improve railroad safety. In the late nineteenth century, railroad companies sought to improve the durability of tracks by switching from iron to steel rails and to reduce accidents by building parallel tracks that allowed trains to pass each other. The Interstate Commerce Commission , created in 1887 to regulate transportation, issued a series of regulations requiring railroad companies to comply with safety regulations. Over time, new technologies such as Automatic Train Stop and eventually electric Automatic Train Control systems and in-cab signaling developed to forcibly stop trains if warning signals were ignored. However, many railroad companies hesitated to implement such costly equipment.

On early railroads of the nineteenth century, multiple trains traveled inbound and outbound on the same lines, making communication key to avoiding collisions and other track hazards. On a single-track road, a train would have to use a siding track off the main line to wait for another train to pass. Before the days of two-way radios, train crews had to rely on schedules, telegraphs at station stops, or simple line of sight in order to locate another train. These capricious methods were often vulnerable to a large degree of human error.

Great Train Wreck of 1856

Such was the case on July 17, 1856, in an event that came to be known as the Great Train Wreck of 1856. That day at the Cohocksink depot in the Kensington section of Philadelphia, a North Pennsylvania Railroad excursion train called the “Picnic Special,” carrying children from St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Sunday School, left the depot later than scheduled. Farther down the line at the Wissahickon station, the crew of the regularly scheduled train the  Aramingo had no way of knowing that the Picnic Special was running late and so, after a brief period of waiting, pulled out of the station on the single-track line. The conductor intended to use a siding at Edge Hill to allow the Picnic Special to pass. However, the two trains collided around a blind curve by Camp Hill station, near the site of future Ambler, killing fifty-nine and injuring around one hundred. Immediately following the accident, Wissahickon resident Mary Johnson Ambler (1805-68) packed first-aid supplies and traveled the two miles from her home to care for the wounded. Years later, her heroics inspired the North Pennsylvania Railroad to rename the Wissahickon station as Ambler after her, and the town also took her name in 1888.

A similar incident had occurred in South Jersey on the Camden-Amboy Railroad on August 29, 1855. In this accident, two trains traveling in opposite directions on the single-track line between Philadelphia and New York spotted each other down the road near Burlington. The northbound train began to reverse. Down the line at a road crossing, a local doctor was driving his two-horse carriage, but windy weather caused dust clouds and made it difficult for both the brakemen and the doctor to see. The train struck the two horses and derailed four of the five train cars. This accident left twenty-one dead and sixty to one hundred wounded, although the doctor was unharmed. These accidents and subsequent derailments, among other highly publicized disasters nationally in the 1850s, aroused public outcry for increased railroad safety and highlighted the dangers of railroad travel in absence of safety measures.

Many railroads did not become double-tracked until traffic increased during and after the Civil War. The Pennsylvania Railroad Company planned its Main Line, connecting Philadelphia to Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, to be double-track from its inception. However, the economic Panic of 1857 halted the double-track progress until the increased traffic of the Civil War made it necessary.

During the Civil War, as Union and Confederate forces used railroads heavily, railroad companies depended on poor quality British iron for tracks that quickly wore out and caused numerous derailments. After the war, railroads turned instead to steel as sturdier and better suited for newer, heavier cars and more powerful locomotives. By the late 1870s, the Independent Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad became one of the first American railroads to install steel rails along its main line. By 1914, Pennsylvania Railroad executives concerned with railroad productivity, more than passenger safety, also recognized broken rails to be a leading cause of derailments.

Automatic Train Stop Systems

Automatic Train Stop (ATS) systems, first patented by Pennsylvania Railroad workers in 1880, added an element of safety by preventing trains from passing restrictive signals. The initial system worked by dropping a bar on the train if it passed a stop signal. The bar would smash a glass cylinder on the locomotive, which would then release air pressure from the brake line and stop the train. In 1922, the Interstate Commerce Commission mandated that forty-nine major railroads implement ATS on at least one passenger division by 1926. However, ATS could not prevent derailments caused by speeding or stalling on a descent. This still remained in the hands of the engine man.

After excessive speed caused a train to derail in February 1947 near Gallitzin in central Pennsylvania, the ICC required all railroads to install cab signaling (in-cab displays corresponding with outside signal lights) or ATS where passenger trains exceeded 72 miles per hour. Finally, after an engine,  Red Arrow , sped through a stop signal and collided with the rear end of the Philadelphia Night Express at Bryn Mawr on May 18, 1951, the Pennsylvania Railroad committed to installing cab signaling and Automatic Speed Control, or Automatic Train Control (ATC) as it came to be known. ATC uses electric pulses from the rails to apply the brakes on trains exceeding the speed limit. Similarly, on diesel and electric trains, “dead man” switches could stop the engine should the engineer become incapacitated.

One location, the Frankford Junction curve in Philadelphia, became the site of two accidents seventy-two years apart. On September 6, 1943, PRR’s Congressional Limited derailed as a result of loose equipment in the train’s under carriage. Due to its speed, the train could not respond to the signalman’s warning in time to stop. This accident left seventy-nine killed and 118 injured. Years later, on May 12, 2015, Amtrak train 188 entered the Frankford Junction curve at around 102 mph and flew off the tracks. The track had been recently equipped with Positive Train Control (PTC, a more advanced form of ATC), but it was not yet operational. Had PTC been active, the train’s excessive speed would have triggered the brakes upon passing a warning signal. Eight people were killed and more than two hundred were injured.

The absence of safety measures continued to be one of the leading causes of train derailments. Public outcry over accidents in the earlier, unregulated days of railroads precipitated the creation of safety innovations that protected and saved lives. With a large degree of railroad traffic, the greater Philadelphia region became a testing ground for these innovations. The decline in accident frequency demonstrated that with increased safety technologies, railroads could operate more efficiently and safely. Although train crews no longer operated blindly, in the absence of long-developed safety measures, the rails could still be a dangerous place.

Leonard Lederman earned his master’s degree in history at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. (Author information current at time of publication.)

Major Train Derailments in Greater Philadelphia

November 8, 1833: Hightstown Rail Accident, Hightstown, New Jersey. An overheated journal box caught fire underneath one of the carriages on a Camden & Amboy train between Hightstown and Spotswood, New Jersey, causing an axle to break and derailing the train. The derailment killed one and injured twenty-three. Among the wounded was future New York Central railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794-1877). Also on board the train was former president John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) who, in his journal, recorded the horror of witnessing the wounded victims. This derailment may have been the first fatal passenger train accident in U.S. history.

August 2, 1853: Sunset Cow Wreck, Bulls Island, Lambertville, New Jersey. At sunset, a Belvidere Delaware Railroad train struck a cow on the tracks. Six cars derailed, killing eleven.

August 29, 1855: Camden-Amboy Railroad Wreck, Burlington, New Jersey. Twenty-one people died and sixty to one hundred were injured after a train struck two horses pulling a carriage, causing four cars to derail.

July 17, 1856:  Great Train Wreck of 1856, Ambler, Pennsylvania. A regularly scheduled North Pennsylvania Railroad passenger collided with a late excursion train, killing fifty-nine and injuring around one hundred.

October 4, 1877: Milford Wreck, Kimberton, Pennsylvania. Torrential rain from a large tropical storm caused the ground under the tracks near Kimberton to erode. A three-car Philadelphia and Reading Railroad train plunged into the thirty-foot chasm, killing seven.

S eptember 19, 1890: Shoemakersville, Pennsylvania. After two coal trains collided and spilled timber and coal onto a passenger train track, a fast-moving Pottsville Express passenger train struck the coal debris and plunged into the Schuylkill River. Twenty-two people died and more than thirty were injured.

July 30, 1896: Atlantic City, New Jersey.  A Reading Railroad Express train plowed into the side of Pennsylvania Railroad Red Men’s excursion train, killing around fifty and injuring over sixty.

December 3, 1903: Greenwood, Delaware. A winter snowstorm, resulting in decreased visibility, caused two trains to collide in the town of Greenwood. One train carried naphtha, a highly flammable liquid, which exploded with such force that Greenwood inhabitants reported glass shattered in almost every building in town. Only one brakeman and a nearby infant were killed, but the resulting fires wounded many and destroyed nine buildings, leaving locals homeless during the snowstorm. Firefighters could not respond until the following morning because the explosion had destroyed telegraph lines.

October 18, 1906: Atlantic City. Improperly placed tracks on a trestle bridge outside Atlantic City caused a West Jersey and Seashore Railroad train to derail, plunging several cars into the mud and water. Fifty died from drowning in the mud and rising water levels. A grand jury exonerated the elderly bridge tender but found the railroad company at fault for improperly placed tracks and a lack of mechanical warning signals.

November 27, 1912: “Sagging Bridge,” Glen Loch, Pennsylvania. The Cleveland Flyer train derailed as the result of a sagging bridge on the Pennsylvania Railroad line. Eight cars derailed, killing four and wounding forty-nine. Investigations found that a cover plate on the bridge had ruptured but could not determine the cause. Evidenced also showed that the train began to derail before it reached the bridge.

September 6, 1943: Frankford Junction, Philadelphia. The Pennsylvania Railroad Congressional Limited derailed on the Frankford Junction curve as a result of loose equipment in the train’s undercarriage. Due to its speed, the train could not respond to the signalmen’s warning in time to stop. This accident left seventy-nine killed and 118 injured.

May 18, 1951: Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. A Pennsylvania Railroad train, Red Arrow , sped through a stop signal and collided with the rear end of the Philadelphia Night Express at Bryn Mawr, killing eleven and wounding fifty-seven.

December 26, 1961: York-Dauphin Station, Philadelphia. A four-car SEPTA subway on the Market-Frankford El line entered a curve just before the York-Dauphin station where it hit a guardrail causing the first three cars to derail. One man was killed and thirty-eight people were injured.

March 7, 1990: Philadelphia. Between 30 th and 15 th Street Stations, a dragging motor box caused a subway car to crash through a pillar, killing four and injuring 162.

May 12, 2015: Frankford Junction, Philadelphia. Amtrak train 188 entered the Frankford Junction curve at around 102 mph and flew off the tracks. The track had been recently equipped with Positive Train Control, but it was not yet operational. Had PTC been active, the train’s excessive speed would have triggered the brakes upon passing a warning signal. Eight people were killed and more than two hundred were injured.

April 3, 2016: Chester, Pennsylvania.   A maintenance crew foreman neglected to confirm that dispatchers were routing trains around the work zone. As a result, an Amtrak train on the New York to Savannah line collided with a backhoe, killing two maintenance workers and injuring around forty passengers.

Copyright 2019, Rutgers University

Mary Johnson Ambler

Wikimedia Commons

On July 17, 1856, two trains collided near the Camp Hill railroad station. After hearing of the crash, Mary Johnson Ambler (1805-68), pictured here, traveled the two miles from her home in Wissahickon to the site of the crash and cared for the wounded. Despite her efforts, fifty-nine people died as a result of this accident, later known as the Great Train Wreck of 1856.

In 1869, the North Pennsylvania Railroad renamed the Wissahickon station in honor of Ambler. The village of Wissahickon also took in the name Ambler in 1888.

Congressional Limited Crash

Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries

On September 6, 1943, the Congressional Limited derailed at the Frankford Junction curve as a result of loose equipment in the train’s undercarriage. The train was traveling too fast to respond to the signalman’s warning to stop. Seventy-nine people died and 118 were injured in the accident. In this photograph, a crowd observes the wreck.

Market-Frankford Derailment

On December 26, 1961, a SEPTA subway train crashed into a guardrail on the Market-Frankford El line causing the first three cars to derail. The train crashed just before the York-Dauphin Station. The accident killed one man and injured thirty-eight others.

Accident on the Camden and Amboy Rail Road

Historical Society of Pennsylvania

On August 29, 1855, two trains traveling in opposite directions on the single-track line between Philadelphia and New York spotted each other near Burlington. One of the trains reversed direction but struck a horse-drawn carriage, causing four of the five train cars to derail. This lithograph, published soon after the event, depicts rescue workers assisting victims among the wreckage, while a crowd flocks to the scene.

Accident North Pennsylvania Railroad

Library Company of Philadelphia

On July 17, 1856, two trains collided near the future site of Ambler, an event that became known as the Great Train Wreck of 1856. The accident occurred when a North Pennsylvania Railroad excursion train called the “Picnic Special” left the depot later than scheduled and hit another train using the same single-track line. This lithograph, produced from a drawing created at the scene of the accident, depicts the chaos that ensued as passengers jumped from the train to escape the smoke and flames.

Related Topics

• Greater Philadelphia

Time Periods

• Twentieth Century after 1945
• Twentieth Century to 1945
• Nineteenth Century after 1854
• Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
• Burlington County, New Jersey
• North Philadelphia

Related Reading

Aldrich, Mark.  Death Rode the Rails American Railroad Accidents and Safety, 1828-1965 . Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006.

Bezilla, Michael.  Electric Traction on the Pennsylvania Railroad, 1895-1968 . University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1980.

Bibel, George.  Train Wreck: The Forensics of Rail Disasters . Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012.

Burgess, George H., and Miles Coverdale Kennedy.  Centennial History of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, 1846-1946 . Philadelphia: Pennsylvania Railroad, 1949.

Churella, Albert J.  The Pennsylvania Railroad, Volume 1 – Building an Empire 1846 – 1917 . Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2012.

Gallamore, Robert E., and John R. Meyer.  American Railroads . Harvard University Press, 2014.

Lee, Warren F., and Tri-State Railway Historical Society.  Down along the Old Bel-Del: The History of the Belvidere Delaware Railroad Company, a Pennsylvania Railroad Company . Albuquerque: Bel-Del Enterprises, Ltd, 1987.

Related Collections

• Philadelphia Record Photo Morgue: Railroad Accidents 1936-1946 Historical Society of Pennsylvania 1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia.
• Pennsylvania Railroad Collection and Reading Company Collection Hagley Museum and Library 200 Hagley Creek Road, Wilmington, Del.

Related Places

• Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
• The Railroad in Pennsylvania (ExplorePAhistory.com)
• Mary Ambler (Ambler Main Street)
• How Wissahickon Became Ambler (Historical Society of Montgomery County)
• Tragic Train Wreck at 53rd Street and Baltimore Avenue (PhillyHistory.org)
• Is This the Train Tragedy We'll Learn From? (Hidden City)
• Camden and Amboy Railroad (Delaware River Heritage Trail)

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A Railway Accident Essay | Essay on A Railway Accident for Students and Children in English

February 12, 2024 by Prasanna

A Railway Accident Essay – Given below is a Long and Short Essay on A Railway Accident of competitive exams, kids and students belonging to classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. A Railway Accident essay 100, 150, 200, 250 words in English helps the students with their class assignments, comprehension tasks, and even for competitive examinations.

You can also find more Essay Writing articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more.

Short Essay on A Railway Accident 300 Words for Kids and Students in English

During the last few months, there have been many railway accidents. The losses incurred, both to life and property, due to these accidents are immense. In July, there occurred a serious accident between Frontier Mail and Bombay Express near Ratlam Station. It occurred during the early hours of the morning.

As the two trains collided with each other, there was a deafening sound. Everybody was paralysed on hearing the dreadful noise. Soon, it was discovered with great shock and dismay that two trains had collided. People immediately woke up and rushed to the ill-fated spot.

The scene at the accident spot was very tragic and pathetic. The engine of the Frontier Mail, after ramming into the Bombay Express engine, forged deep into its compartments. Both the trains were badly damaged. The passengers of trains were in a state of shock. Some died because of the serious injuries while some passengers were sandwiched between the windows of the trains. Loud and piercing cries of men, women and children could be heard. Some had lost their limbs while others were bleeding profusely. It was a scene that would have shaken the most stoic person. The luggage lay broken and scattered. The belongings of the passengers were lying strewn around the site of the accident.

Medical-aid was immediately rushed for the injured and trapped passengers. Vans and ambulances came to the rescue. First-aid was soon given to the victims of this ill-fated collision. Some passengers were carried to the hospital in the ambulance while others who were not so seriously wounded, were given first aid. Food and medicines were also brought by the people living near the site of the railway accident. It was a terrible sight as there was only a pile of the dead and there were only a few survivors. People came from many places to identify their kith and kin and friends. The entire spot was full of victims, doctors, nurses, social workers and the relatives of the victims. It was the most tragic and heart-rending scene.

Later, people enquired about the cause of the accident. It was learnt that the signal man had given wrong signals. It was one of the most pathetic and disastrous accidents in the history of Indian Railways.

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Essay on Train Accident

The rhythmic hum of wheels on tracks, the distant whistle announcing arrival or departure—trains are iconic symbols of connectivity and travel. However, with their massive size and intricate systems, accidents involving trains can result in devastating consequences. In this essay, we delve into the somber reality of train accidents, exploring the factors that contribute to their occurrence and the profound impact they have on individuals and communities.

Quick Overview:

• Train accidents can stem from mechanical failures, including issues with brakes, signals, or the overall functioning of the train’s components.
• Malfunctions in critical systems can compromise the train’s ability to operate safely, leading to potential collisions or derailments.
• Human error, such as mistakes made by train operators, signalmen, or maintenance crews, can contribute to accidents.
• Miscommunication or failure to follow established procedures may result in trains moving onto the same track or disregarding vital safety protocols.
• The condition of railway infrastructure, including tracks, bridges, and signaling systems, is crucial to preventing accidents.
• Poor maintenance, inadequate inspections, or outdated infrastructure can lead to accidents, especially during adverse weather conditions.
• Adverse weather conditions, such as heavy rain, snow, or extreme temperatures, can impact the safety of train operations.
• Slippery tracks, reduced visibility, and challenges in maintaining traction contribute to the heightened risk of accidents during inclement weather.
• Train accidents can be influenced by factors beyond the railway environment, such as trespassing, vehicular crossings, or intentional actions like vandalism.
• Ensuring the safety of railway zones requires addressing not only railway-specific issues but also broader societal factors contributing to accidents.

Understanding the Causes and Consequences:

Train accidents are often the result of a complex interplay of mechanical failures, human errors, and environmental factors. Mechanical failures, ranging from brake malfunctions to signal issues, pose a significant risk to train safety. When critical components fail to function as intended, it can compromise the train’s ability to navigate tracks safely, potentially leading to collisions or derailments.

Human errors and miscommunication also play a crucial role in train accidents. Mistakes made by train operators, signalmen, or maintenance crews can have severe consequences. Failure to adhere to established procedures, misinterpretation of signals, or lapses in communication can result in trains moving onto the same track or neglecting vital safety protocols, creating conditions conducive to accidents.

The condition of railway infrastructure is paramount in preventing accidents. Poor maintenance, inadequate inspections, or outdated infrastructure can lead to hazardous conditions, particularly during adverse weather. Adverse weather conditions, including heavy rain, snow, or extreme temperatures, present additional challenges. Slippery tracks, reduced visibility, and difficulties in maintaining traction increase the risk of accidents during inclement weather.

Beyond the railway environment, human factors such as trespassing, vehicular crossings, or intentional actions like vandalism can contribute to accidents. Addressing the broader societal aspects that influence train safety is essential to ensuring the well-being of both passengers and communities living near railway zones.

Conclusion:

Train accidents are tragic events that demand a comprehensive understanding of the multiple factors contributing to their occurrence. Mechanical failures, human errors, infrastructure issues, weather-related challenges, and broader societal factors all play pivotal roles in the dynamics of train accidents. Recognizing the complexity of these incidents is crucial for developing effective preventive measures and safety protocols. As we reflect on the impact of train accidents on individuals, communities, and the transportation industry, it becomes imperative to prioritize safety measures and technological advancements that can mitigate the risks associated with train operations. Only through a holistic approach can we work towards a future where the tracks are not only symbols of connectivity but also corridors of safety and well-being.

Rahul Kumar is a passionate educator, writer, and subject matter expert in the field of education and professional development. As an author on CoursesXpert, Rahul Kumar’s articles cover a wide range of topics, from various courses, educational and career guidance.

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Railway Accidents: Causes and Safety Measures

When railway accidents occur, regardless of the causes or the safety measures that were in place, we can’t help but wonder about the safety of train travel. After all, when a vehicle as large and heavy as a train crashes, the resulting injuries and loss of life can be both tragic and extensive. What does the data show regarding the safety of trains? Why do train accidents happen, and what steps could be taken to make train travel less dangerous? Let’s take a closer look at the facts and statistics, including railway accident causes and safety measures that can prevent injuries and fatalities.

Causes of Rail Accidents

Recent studies have shown that although fatalities in railway accidents are relatively uncommon, the number of passenger injuries is increasing. Sadly, the rate of passengers injured while traveling on Amtrak trains is a shocking 58 times higher than for French rail passengers. Although high-profile accidents involving passenger trains more regularly make the news, studies show that a person or vehicle is struck by a train about every three hours. Trend data don’t provide much comfort, as The National Transportation Safety Board reports that deaths resulting from injuries sustained in train wrecks were up 6% in 2012.

So, why do rail accidents happen? The most common reason a train accident occurs is a derailment. The consequences can be more severe, depending on a number of factors, including the type of track involved (main, yard, siding, or industry track), the length of the train, the number of cars which leave the track, the train’s speed at the time of derailment, and the location of the first car when the train derails. Other causes include equipment and track problems, including damaged welds or rails, bearing failures, and malfunctioning wheels. In addition to mechanical failure, a train can crash because of communication or signal problems, and human errors made while operating the train.

Although trains have become more automated, operator error continues to contribute to accidents. Some examples of personal injuries due to train accidents include:

• A freight train and a passenger train collided in South Carolina in 2018, because a switch was in the incorrect position, resulting in the death of two passengers and injuries to dozens of others.
• In December 2017, three passengers were killed and 62 passengers and crew were injured when an Amtrak passenger train derailed on a highway overpass while traveling 78 miles per hour in a 30 mile per hour zone. Eight people driving on the highway below were also injured.
• Over 200 passengers on two New York City-area commuter trains were injured and one killed in late 2016 and early 2017 after engineers fell asleep on the job because of undiagnosed sleep apnea, causing them to take their attention away from the task at hand.
• One of the most tragic train crashes in Southern California took place in 2008 when an engineer was texting while driving, resulting in a collision between a freight train and passenger train when he missed a stop signal. In that accident, 25 people lost their lives and 135 others were injured.

U.S. Railway History and the Need for Safety Regulations

To understand the state of today’s U.S. railways, including train safety, it’s important to understand a bit about the history of our railroad system. America has a long, storied and deeply nostalgic relationship with trains. The modern railway industry in this country was born in the 1830s with the construction of the first mechanical passenger train. By 1850, over 9,000 miles of railroad tracks had been laid across the United States.

That figure had more than tripled just over a decade later, in 1861, when the Civil War began, with 22,000 miles of railroad tracks running across the Northern states and 9,500 miles across the South. Railways were a major part of the Civil War, as the Confederates depended heavily on trains for transporting munitions and other supplies. The Union army was able to take advantage of the fact that southern railways were disorganized, in disrepair and deteriorating fast, and this ultimately helped them win the war.

Post-war, more and more companies began using railroads to expand their business interests. It was during this time, as railway accidents occurred regularly and safety measures were nearly nonexistent, that the need for regulations became clear.

The railway industry has evolved quite a bit in the 150-plus years since. Environmental and financial concerns over the use of coal, a nonrenewable energy, along with other factors, have put the U.S. railway industry in a tricky position as far as adapting to shifting resources, increasing regulations, and other industry demands. Trains are still heavily utilized all over the country, including commuter and passenger trains, as well as freight trains that transport products, chemicals, and other items. Over time, train safety has emerged as one of the top concerns of the railroad industry as pressure to modernize increases.

Train Accident Statistics

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reports rates of train accidents, employee injuries, and grade crossing collisions. Grade crossings are intersections where railroad tracks and roadways cross each other at the same level; grade crossing accidents are typically collisions between trains and smaller vehicles like cars, trucks, or buses. The Office of Safety Analysis within the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) maintains a database of train accidents and injuries and statistics about safety trends. The National Transportation Safety Board also keeps records of railway accidents.

If you are curious about the safety of train travel, here are a few findings recently reported by these agencies:

• About sixteen Americans lost their lives because of a train each week in 2014, which was up 17% over the year prior, representing the most fatalities since 2007.
• 2014 saw the largest number of non-passenger deaths of individuals struck by trains —255—in the four decades the FRA has been keeping records.
• Of the 575 people who died on railroads in the same year, 70% perished in an accident involving a freight train.

The vast majority of railroad fatalities across the country actually occur not as a result of dramatic train crashes or derailments, but when trains accidentally strike individuals who are trespassing on railroad property. Still, rail safety has room to improve. Train accidents may be occurring with less frequency, but they still happen, and when they do, results can be devastating.

Railway Accidents: Causes and Prevention

Causes of railway accidents are many and varied. As discussed earlier, train derailments can occur due to improper maintenance of railroad tracks, faulty equipment, a mechanical malfunction, or a collision with another train. Trains can collide with cars, trucks, and other smaller vehicles at grade crossings. These collisions often occur when the driver of the smaller vehicle disregards train signals or warning signs and chooses either to idle too close to the tracks or to drive over the tracks at an inopportune moment.

Train accident fatalities can also result from individuals on foot doing something dangerous, such as trespassing on railroad property or standing on or crossing railroad tracks at the wrong time. It takes lots of time and a long distance for a high-speed train to come safely to a stop, so a person or animal that comes too close to the tracks at the wrong time can cause a disaster. Still other railway accident causes include negligence on the part of the train operator, operator error (such as excessive speed or failure to brake properly), collapsed bridges, and so on.

Fortunately, train safety has become a priority for the railroad industry. Train operators are now subject to more in-depth training time and stricter regulations than ever before. Industry regulations and oversight by the FRA are also more extensive. The FRA now oversees equipment and track inspections as well as signaling systems, employee certification, the speed at which trains operate, and more. FRA and state inspectors work together around the country to evaluate railroad tracks and other facilities to ensure trains are being operated in accordance with safety regulations. Several other governmental entities, including the Department of Homeland Security, also have oversight over railway safety and regulations.

Ever-evolving technologies also play a big role in increasing train safety. Some of the newer technologies being used in the name of improving safety include both specialized vehicles and detectors that can detect flaws in railroad tracks and the ground beneath the tracks. Data related to individual train cars is also more detailed than ever, which means that sophisticated information technology systems can now flag specific cars in need of repair. Each of these technologies is designed to prevent train accidents before they have a chance to occur.

One safety initiative, a system of train control technology called Positive Train Control (PTC), has been in the works in Congress and railways around the U.S. since 2008. Some railroad lines already utilize PTC, and by the end of 2018, all Class I main lines that handle either hazardous materials or passenger trains (or both) are required to implement PTC. (Class I railroad lines are those that handle over 5 million gross tons annually.) However, as many as two-thirds of the 29 U.S. commuter railroads may not meet the deadline by the end of 2018.

PTC is designed to prevent several types of train accidents, including collisions between trains, grade crossing accidents, and train derailments due to high speeds but is in operation on only 45% of tracks owned by freight railroads and 24% of tracks owned by passenger railways.

The train derailment in Washington State in December 2017 may have been prevented if PTC had been activated at the time of the crash (it had already been installed on the tracks). It would have alerted the engineer to slow down before the curve and would have automatically applied the brakes if the engineer failed to do so, according to the preliminary report issued by the NTSB. The FRA may grant an extension until 2020 for commuter railroads if they meet certain requirements. However, a report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office released in February 2018 said that 19 of the 29 commute railroads may not meet the deadline or may not qualify for the extension.

Train Safety: Looking to the Future

Overall, according to statistical data from many of the major railway organizations and transportation authorities, train safety has vastly improved over the years. These improvements have come about through increased regulations and oversight, as well as the continuing adoption of more effective safety technologies. Additional measures can help improve passenger safety and reduce deaths and injuries.

Specific advances that can help avoid future railway tragedies include:

• Onboard detection systems , including wheel impact load detectors and hot bearing detectors, that alert engineers of faulty components
• Ultrasonic and geometric track inspection systems that gather data with lasers to help more accurately schedule and identify needed repairs
• Sensors at railway crossings  to detect when someone enters, by foot or by car, an area a train will cross
• Drones to conduct aerial inspections without the need to conduct on-track monitoring
• Workplace practices that emphasize passenger safety , including improved screening of job candidates, better training and enhanced reporting of accidents

Slack Davis Sanger Advocates for Victims of Train Accidents

Data that demonstrates increased train safety is no comfort to the families and loved ones of anyone who has been seriously injured or killed in a railway accident. If you or someone you care about has been affected by a railway accident and you’re considering filing a claim, the experienced, caring, and compassionate attorneys at Slack Davis Sanger can give you advice regarding your potential case. We have the practical and technical knowledge needed to help you make the right decision about how to best pursue legal action, and can help victims and their families receive compensation for their injuries, in addition to compensation for emotional distress .

The firm handles cases involving catastrophic personal injuries and deaths. Our work spans three decades of handling  airplane  and  helicopter crashes ,  truck  and  car accidents ,  oilfield  and  construction accidents , and other  devastating accidents . We try lawsuits throughout the country in both federal and state courts and have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients. To date, we have handled or tried cases in 47 states, read more about our attorneys and firm .

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Railway Accidents in India: Causes and Safety Measures

• 20 Jun 2023
• 15 min read
• GS Paper - 2
• Government Policies & Interventions

This editorial is based on Railway safety — listen to the voices from below which was published in The Hindu on 17/06/2023. It talks about the Railway Safety in India and highlights the need for better safety measures and infrastructure.

For Prelims: Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK), Interlocking System , KAVACH , Ultrasonic Flaw Detection (USFD), Committees

For Mains : Railway Safety: Challenges, Measures taken and Way Forward

The Indian Railways is one of the largest railway networks in the world, with millions of people relying on it for transportation every day. Statistics show that over the last two decades, the number of derailments which constitute the majority of accidents has drastically declined from around 350 per year around the turn of the millennium, to 22 in 2021-22. 

However, accidents like the one that occurred at Bahanaga Bazar railway station at Balasore highlight the need for better safety measures and infrastructure. The loss of so many lives is a tragic reminder of the importance of ensuring that the railways are safe for everyone who uses them.

In response to this incident, there have been calls for accountability from those in charge of the Railways, as well as a need to address the systemic issues that may have contributed to the accident. Experts are offering suggestions on how to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future, such as improving signalling systems and investing in better technology.

Furthermore, there have been comparisons made with Railway systems abroad, highlighting the need for India to improve its infrastructure and safety measures to match those of other countries. Overall, this incident has brought attention to the importance of ensuring that the Indian Railways are safe and reliable for everyone who uses them.

What are the Primary Reasons behind Railway Accidents?

• Much of the infrastructure was built in the 19th and 20th centuries and has not been upgraded to meet the growing demand and modern standards.
• The railway system also suffers from a lack of funds, corruption, and inefficiency, which hamper its development and maintenance.
• Moreover, many routes are operating at over 100% capacity, which increases the risk of accidents due to congestion and overloading.
• Human errors can result in wrong signalling, miscommunication, over speeding, or overlooking defects or hazards.
• The railway staff also lack adequate training and communication skills, which affect their performance and coordination.
• Signalling failures can lead to trains running on the wrong track, colliding with other trains or stationary objects, or overshooting stations.
• For example, the recent train accident in Odisha was reportedly caused by a change in electronic interlocking that was not communicated properly to the drivers.
• In 2018-19, UMLCs accounted for 16% of all train accidents in India.
• The railways have eliminated all the unmanned level crossings (UMLCs) on broad gauge routes, but there are still many manned level crossings (MLCs) that pose a risk of accidents.

What has Railways Done to Reduce Accidents so far?

• Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK): A safety fund for critical assets. It was established in 2017-18 with a corpus of Rs 1 lakh crore over a period of five years for critical safety related works such as track renewals, signalling projects, bridge rehabilitation, etc.
• Technological Upgradation: Improved design and features of coaches and wagons. This includes introducing Modified Centre Buffer Couplers, Bogie Mounted Air Brake System (BMBS), improved suspension design and provision of Automatic fire & smoke detection system in coaches. It also includes installing KAVACH - an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP).
• LHB Design Coaches: Lighter and safer coaches for Mail/Express trains. These coaches are based on German technology and have better anti-climbing features, fire retardant materials, higher speed potential and longer service life than conventional ICF design coaches.
• GPS based Fog Pass Device: A device to help loco pilots navigate in foggy conditions. It is a GPS enabled hand-held device that displays the exact distance of the approaching landmarks such as signals, level crossing gates, etc. It also alerts the loco pilot with a loud buzzer when the train approaches a signal or a level crossing gate.
• Modern Track Structure : Stronger and more durable tracks and bridges. This includes using Prestressed Concrete Sleeper (PSC), higher Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS) rails, fan shaped layout turnout on PSC sleepers, Steel Channel Sleepers on girder bridges, etc.
• Ultrasonic Flaw Detection (USFD): A technique to detect and remove faulty rails. It is a non-destructive testing method that uses high frequency sound waves to inspect the rails for cracks, defects or flaws that may cause derailments or accidents. The defective rails are then removed and replaced with new ones.
• Mechanization of Track Maintenance: A system to automate and optimize track maintenance. This includes using machines such as track tamping machines, ballast regulating machines, dynamic track stabilizers, etc to carry out track maintenance activities such as tamping, dressing, stabilizing, etc. This reduces human errors and improves track quality and safety.
• Interlocking System: A system to control points and signals centrally. It is a system that uses electrical or electronic devices to operate the points and signals from a central location. It eliminates the need for manual operation of points and signals by staff on the ground. It also reduces the chances of human failure and enhances safety.
• Elimination of Unmanned Level Crossings (UMLCs):  UMLCs are being eliminated progressively by closing, merging, manning, or providing subways/road under bridges/road over bridges. 

What have the Various Committees recommended to ensure Railways Safety?

• Creating a statutory Railway Safety Authority
• Setting up a non-lapsable Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK) of Rs. 1 lakh crores over 5 years for safety works
• Adopting advanced technologies for track maintenance and inspection
• Improving human resource development and management
• Ensuring independent accident investigation
• Separating railway budget from general budget
• Outsourcing non-core activities
• Creating a Railway Infrastructure Authority of India
• Establishing an independent Railway Safety Authority with statutory
• Setting up a Railway Accident Investigation Board to conduct independent and impartial inquiries.
• Creating a separate Railway Infrastructure Company to own and maintain railway assets
• Introducing a performance-linked incentive scheme for railway employees

What should be Done More to Enhance Safety in India?

• Invest More in Safety-Related Works: Allocate more funds for track renewal, bridge repair, signalling upgrade, coach refurbishment, etc.
• Train Employees to Minimize Human Errors: Provide regular and comprehensive training to the railway staff on the latest technologies, equipment, systems, safety rules and procedures.
• Eliminate Level Crossings: Construct Road overbridges (ROBs) or road underbridges (RUBs) to replace the unmanned and manned level crossings.
• The railways are in the process of installing these technologies on some sections of tracks, but they need to be expanded to cover the entire network.
• Introduce Performance-Linked Incentives: Reward the railway staff based on their performance and compliance with the safety rules and procedures.
• Outsource Non-Core Work: Transfer the non-core activities such as maintaining hospitals, colleges etc to private or public sector entities, which can improve efficiency and reduce costs.
• Create A Statutory Railway Safety Authority : Set up a railway safety authority as a statutory body with powers to frame safety standards, conduct safety audits and inspections, enforce accountability and penalties for lapses, and investigate accidents.
• Conduct Regular Safety Audits and Inspections: Monitor, evaluate and audit the safety performance of the railway staff, infrastructure and equipment, and enforce strict accountability and penalties for lapses.
• Enhance Coordination and Communication: Improve the communication and coordination among the railway board, zonal railways, divisions, production units, research organisations, etc., which are involved in railway operations.
• This system should be supported by the necessary communication and information technology infrastructure, making it accessible and user-friendly for all staff members.
• Simultaneously, transform the management mindset from a fault-finding and punishment-oriented approach to one that emphasizes shared commitment to safety, focusing on correction rather than punishment and actively listening to the voices of staff at all levels.
• In matters of railway safety, there has to be an attitudinal change — from the conventional approach of fault-finding and punishment to one of shared commitment to ensure complete safety at all levels.
• Rethink Indian Railways Management Service (IRMS) Scheme: Conduct a thorough evaluation of the IRMS scheme and its impact on loyalty, ownership, and safety management. Consider revising or modifying the scheme to preserve a sense of specialization and loyalty towards specific disciplines or departments, promoting a stronger commitment to safety.

What are Some of the Best Global Practices?

• The Train Protection and Warning System (TPWS) , which automatically stops trains that pass signals at danger or exceed speed limits.
• The European Train Control System (ETCS), which provides continuous communication between trains and signalling centres.
• The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) , which conducts independent and impartial investigations of railway accidents and incidents.
• The Automatic Train Control (ATC) system, which monitors and controls the speed and braking of trains.
• The Comprehensive Automatic Train Inspection System (CATIS), which detects defects and faults in trains using sensors and cameras.
• The Earthquake Early Warning System (EEWS) , which alerts trains to stop or slow down in case of seismic activity.

Report Writing: Train Accident

Writing a report on a train accident is a sensitive and critical task that requires accuracy, clarity, and a well-structured approach. Here are key steps and considerations for crafting a comprehensive and informative report on such an incident.

Table of Contents

Introduction and Incident Description

Begin your report by outlining the basic details of the train accident, including the date, time, and location. Describe the train involved, specifying the operator and the route. Follow up with a chronological account of events leading up to the accident, noting any pertinent environmental and technical conditions. Include eyewitness accounts from passengers, staff, and bystanders to provide a comprehensive view of the incident.

Impact Assessment and Response

Detail the immediate effects of the accident, such as casualties, injuries, and the extent of the damage to both the train and infrastructure. Document the emergency response, including the actions of first responders and medical personnel. Evaluate the effectiveness of the emergency procedures and the impact of the accident on ongoing train services and infrastructure.

Analysis and Recommendations

Analyze the potential causes of the accident, considering factors like mechanical failure, human error, and external conditions. Review safety protocols and regulatory compliance to identify any failures or gaps. Conclude with specific recommendations aimed at preventing future incidents, such as improvements in safety measures, operational changes, or technological upgrades. Ensure the report maintains a respectful tone and focuses on factual, actionable insights.

Train Accident Report Example #1

The train involved in the accident was a high-speed passenger train with 12 cars. It was traveling at a speed of approximately 100 miles per hour before the accident occurred. The train was equipped with state-of-the-art safety features, including automatic braking systems and advanced warning systems.

In conclusion, train accidents can have serious consequences, and it is important to understand the details surrounding them. This report has provided a description of the train before the accident, details of the accident scene, and an account of the aftermath. It is our hope that this information will help prevent future accidents and ensure the safety of all passengers.

Train Accident Report Example #2

The physical damage caused to the train and surrounding area was significant. The train was derailed, causing damage to the tracks and surrounding infrastructure. Debris was scattered everywhere, and the train was mangled and destroyed. The physical damage was extensive, and the cleanup process was arduous.

The emotional impact on passengers and witnesses of the accident was devastating. Many passengers were traumatized by the experience and needed emotional support. Witnesses were shaken by what they had seen and were struggling to come to terms with it. The emotional impact of the accident will likely continue to affect those involved for a long time.

Train Accident Report Example #3

Train accidents can be devastating and have far-reaching consequences. Recently, I witnessed a train accident that left a lasting impact on me. In this report, I will provide a detailed description of the accident, including its cause, damage, and aftermath.

The aftermath of the accident was chaotic, with injured passengers being rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment. Unfortunately, there were also several casualties, which left the community in a state of shock and mourning. The clean-up process was extensive, with debris and wreckage scattered across the tracks. The impact of the accident was felt by the entire community, with many people affected by the loss of loved ones and the disruption to their daily lives.

In conclusion, train accidents can have devastating consequences, affecting not only those directly involved but also the wider community. It is important for authorities to take proactive measures to prevent such accidents and to respond effectively when they do occur. As a witness to this tragic event, I hope that my report will raise awareness of the importance of train safety and encourage greater vigilance and accountability.

About Mr. Greg

Digital English

A train accident report writing and five samples, a train accident report writing for madhyamik, h.s and all types of competitive exam.

Table of Contents

A Train Accident Report Writing

Now all students can write a report writing on train or bus accidents in English with the help of a format. They will have to follow some tips which have been given below. Train and bus accident is about the same.

Accident Report Writing Tips

I have given you a format. Just fill in the blanks with the correct information. Along with the formats, you can read the samples and practice report writing. The report should write in the past tense. But we use present tense and future tense sometimes.

Accident Report Writing Format All In One (120 Words)

Report writing on train accident in about 100 words.

40 KILLED IN BENGAL TRAIN ACCIDENT

By a staff reporter

West Bengal, September 15, 2022: At least 40 persons were killed and 25 others injured when the last three bogies of the Padatik Express jumped the rails at Malda station last night. According to railway sources, the loose fish plate at the station was the cause of this accident. At first local people started rescue work. Then they informed the nearby GRPF and local police station. They reached the spot immediately. The injured people were taken to the nearest hospitals. The Bengal Chief Minister announced a job in addition to monetary compensation to the nearest of kin of those killed in the accident.

Report Writing on Train Accident in about 120 words

Report writing on train accident in about 150 words, report writing on rajdhani express fell into river in about 180 words.

Malda, November 10: The New Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express fell into the Mahananda river from Sukanta Palli Bridge at 10.40 p.m. last night. It was suspected that the mishap occurred due to derailing on the bridge as perhaps the fish plate remained open. As a result, 120 passengers were killed and more than 250 injured. The injured persons were sent to the local hospitals. Only 5 of the 20 compartments of the train remained safe. A few badly damaged bogeys fell into the water and others were found hanging in the air from the bridge. Many dead bodies could not be identified. The local people rushed to the spot having heard a loud sound and started rescue work. They informed the local police station and a rescue operation team arrived at the spot. The state government ordered to form of an investigation committee to probe into the matter. He also announced compensation for the kin of both dead and wounded persons. The train service was postponed on this route for a day.

Report Writing on Train Accident in about 200 words

By the staff reporter

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Monumental train disaster at Balasore puts issues plaguing Railways in focus

The colossal accident on june 2 points mainly to an integral systems failure, which takes place only when earlier breakdowns were left unattended..

Published : Jun 15, 2023 11:00 IST - 14 MINS READ

Rescue workers inspect damaged carriages at the accident site on June 4. | Photo Credit: PUNIT PARANJPE/AFP

Accidents are not rare in the Indian Railways: there were 48 train accidents in 2022-23, including six collisions, 35 “consequential” train accidents in the 2021-22, and 22 in 2020-21. Sabotage was stated as the reason for two accidents in 2017-18 and for one in 2021-22.

But the multiple-train accident on June 2 in Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore in north-eastern Odisha, which involved three trains and left 288 passengers dead, shook the Railway establishment from its slumber and left the entire nation stunned.

In its aftermath, there were clumsy and counterproductive efforts to assuage passengers and attempts to cover up the overarching systemic flaws. Also, the element of spin, an add-on in recent years, was on full display: it was used to make the politician in charge look good or twist the facts so that they are perceived with a communal colour.

A mind-numbing parallel follows every train accident in India: the dead and injured are moved, on foot, by cart or any other means available, to the nearest available clinic or hospital or a makeshift hospital, which is not equipped to handle a sudden rush of such accident cases; the derailed coaches are pushed out of the rail tracks in the name of expeditious restoration; compensation is announced for the next of kin of the dead; and train service along the route is restored, almost always in “record time”.

Also Read | Questions over cause of Odisha train accident remain unresolved

This accident was no different. In addition, a large section of the media, while barely chronicling the fact that 82 bodies were yet to be identified, was busy glorifying Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for staying at the accident site until traffic was restored, inspecting coaches without wearing safety gear, and so on. Despite these distractions, the important questions the accident has thrown up cannot be wished away.

People searching for their loved ones among the photographs displayed by authorities after the multiple-train accident at Balasore, on June 4. | Photo Credit: SWAPAN MAHAPATRA/PTI

Inquiries into the incident

Two inquiries have been initiated in parallel: one by an entity independent of the Railways, the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety, and the second by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), an agency usually called upon to investigate corruption in high places and violent crimes.

Bahanaga Bazar station has five railway tracks in all—two main lines on which the express trains were travelling, two loop lines on which two freight trains were detained to allow the express trains to pass, and one platform line, beyond which the office of the Deputy Station Superintendent is located.

The crux of the inquiry is this: how did the Coromandel Express, which passed at least 30 stations on the main line from Shalimar (Kolkata), on its way to Chennai, crossing multiple block sections at around the same speed of just under 130 km per hour, move from the main line to the loop line in Bahanaga Bazar on June 2?

Almost instantaneously it hit the freight train’s rear guard van, throwing its initial coaches clear off the tracks; some of the coaches also hit the Yeshwantpur-Howrah Express, which happened to be passing just then on the adjacent main line. The result was one of the worst train disasters in about three decades.

Some of the answers to the questions raised in the aftermath of the accident will be available in the data logger, which is maintained at all stations and at the divisional and zonal headquarters, and in the micro-processor on board the locomotive involved in the accident.

Also Read | Social media rife with polarising disinformation on Odisha train tragedy

For a train to move into a station, loco pilots need to physically see a green signal ahead of the station. Once the signal turns green, it means that the path of the train is “interlocked” and that no other train can come into that path. Interlocking ensures safety. In this case, although the signal was given for the main line, was the route set for the main line or was it set for the loop line, on which there was a goods train? While the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety will examine this from a technical angle, the CBI will be looking for evidence to see if there was conspiracy or sabotage involved.

There is a hint of what might have happened in a June 8 circular issued by Y.N. Babu, Principal Chief Operations Manager, East Coast Railway. In a communication to all Senior Divisional Operations Managers, titled “Action to be taken regarding safety at Stations”, he said: “It is known that whenever points are changed on the panel, there will be flashing of point indication [at the actual signal] for a few seconds and overall setting of points takes about 8-10 seconds.”

This can be interpreted to mean that although the signal for the Coromandel Express was intended to be ‘red’ by the signal staff, it could have momentarily flickered to green. The loco pilot of the train too confirms that the signal was green. Across all Railway routes, signals turn red a little after the head (engine) passes the signal. This means that this was a perfect storm of unfortunate events: first, the signal turned green, possibly unintentionally, because the signal staff was trying to bypass a small existing problem; the driver saw the green signal and kept going. Soon after the engine passed the signal, it turned red.

Inside the Bahanaga Bazar Station Manager’s room after train services resumed on the route, in Balasore district on June 5. | Photo Credit: SWAPAN MAHAPATRA/PTI

Integrity failure

Abraham Jacob, former Additional Member of the Railway Board, the top Railway decision-making body, said: “As per records, at the time of the train passing the signal, the signal was green. That means the looping itself failed…It is not just the looping, it is the failure of a much higher proportion, in the sense that the basic core principle on which our signalling is based, has failed. This is an integral failure.”

By definition, integrity failures can take place only if there has been an earlier failure which was not attended to. “One reason the failure happened was because there was some work done in the panel room. During the course of this work, there could have been some wrong move that might have affected the integrity of the system,” Jacob told Frontline .

Also Read | How the disaster response to the Odisha train accident panned out

Signal staff explained that many small failures take place in a signalling system. Often, these are momentary. “It is assumed that this is a bug in the system. The signal is looped [bypassed at points which show wrong indication]. There is nothing wrong in this,” a staffer said.

“Once the signal turns green, it means that the path of the train is “interlocked” and that no other train can come into that path.”

“A clear signal was given for the main line and the train went into the loop line. This is the anomaly,” Jacob said. “It is common practice in maintenance to [set the system to] loop. If there are four steps to the signalling process, looping allows you to disregard the intermediate steps and go from step one to step four.”

Jacob also said that this may be done for a variety of reasons, largely in the interest of punctuality and sometimes because there is some small unrelated problem.

The other option, instead of looping, is for the signal staff at Bahanaga Bazar, a route relay interlocking station, to issue a ‘disconnection memo’ to the Deputy Station Superintendent (Station Master) on duty. In turn, this triggers the start of a manual signalling process. The Deputy Station Superintendent, from this point, has to ensure that the point is physically set to the right track. Trains will have to be detained at the ‘home’ signal and a physical memo or message given to each train’s loco pilot that the train can enter the block section even though the signal is red. This process takes up to a minimum of 45 minutes.

A senior Railway staffer said: “Suppose several trains are passing around the same time, the net effect will be that each train will be delayed at each station. What happens at a practical level is this: supposing my gate interlocking system is a problem, the Deputy Station Superintendent takes the help of the signals engineer and bypasses the system. Once the bypassing is carried out, the signal can be turned to green and the train can pass.”

Workers restore railway tracks at the site where the triple-train accident happened, on June 6. | Photo Credit: SWAPAN MAHAPATRA/PTI

It is clear that at Bahanaga Bazar, some level crossing (LC) gate work was in progress, and this could be a possible starting point to understand what went wrong. The ‘LC gate locked’ indication is required for the signal to turn green.

According to procedure, even though boom replacement work was being carried out at the LC gate, the substitute arrangement of a ‘sliding boom’ has to be operated so that interlocking is ensured and trains can be dealt with as usual on signals. Instead of the electrically operated lifting barriers, the sliding booms are operated manually on both sides of the road. An electrical key locking arrangement is available for such booms to provide the ‘gate closed’ indication at the station panel and to clear the required signal(s).

“Wagon design is taking centre stage after the accident as it is the second most important reason for derailments.”

Before carrying out the work, the corresponding relay (an essential component in electrical signalling) would have to be disconnected and upon completion of the work it would have to be reconnected. It is possible that some mistake was made during this process and that resulted in the wrong setting of point No. 17 which was set to the loop line. But the fail-safe here is that during such work, signal staff—section engineer and technicians—are present at the spot without which the work cannot be carried out. So, here too one is left puzzled.

Also Read | Congress questions BJP over rail safety following Odisha train accident

Of all the events that happened subsequently, one that needs immediate action on the part of the Railways is the issue of passengers who are almost always perched precariously near the doors of the general compartments of trains. The Coromandel Express is one of the most crowded trains in the country, and ferries hundreds of job-seekers from the eastern and north-eastern States where jobs are hard to find and wages are low, to the labour-scarce and more prosperous regions of south India.

• Although the signal for the Coromandel Express was intended to be “red” by the signal staff, it could have momentarily flickered to green.
• “The basic core principle on which our signalling is based, has failed. This is an integral failure,” says former Railway Board member.
• Wagon design is taking centre stage after the accident as it is the second most important reason for derailments.

LHB coaches

The subsidiary question that demands an explanation is the sight of the mangled LHB coaches that are touted to be “sturdy and safe”. These passenger coaches, developed by Linke-Hofmann-Busch of Germany, are now mostly produced by the Rail Coach Factory in Kapurthala.

Responding to a question from MPs Ravneet Singh and Su. Thirunavakkarasu on April 5, Ashwini Vaishnaw had said that the “salient feature of LHB coaches are superior riding quality, large panoramic windows, provision of bio-toilets, sliding type fire barrier doors, higher seating capacity, FRP (fibre reinforced plastic) panels in air-conditioned coaches, sturdy and robust design to minimise damage and obviate capsizing of coaches during accidents, automatic coupling centre buffer coupler for enhanced safety and anti-climbing features , superior disc brakes & efficient brake system, superior microprocessor-based AC, etc” (emphasis added).

Also Read | Odisha train accident deaths: Where does the buck stop?

Wagon design, hence, is again taking centre stage after the accident. According to an engineer, this is the second most important reason for a derailment because of the issue of stability and centrifugal balancing (the most important reason is track quality).

In parallel, the problem of one train ramming another is also a function of reaction time. There are problems here, too, because the nature of real-time information on accidents gets communicated to the signalling system.

“Knee-jerk actions have marked the Railways’ response. All the Railway bosses are putting out orders as well as adding to the workload of the field staff.”

In the Bahanaga Bazar accident, the coaches did not just capsize but, from one account, one coach appeared to have done half a cartwheel before landing on its side. From the available videos and pictures, it is clear that the rake composition included coaches cannibalised from Duronto Express trains, introduced in 2007—perhaps a result of Indian politicians’ continuing fascination with the concept of high-speed trains.

Right now, knee-jerk actions have marked the Railways’ response. All the Railway bosses are putting out orders, “reiterating” and “re-emphasising” existing orders as well as adding to the workload of the field staff.

In a three-page letter on June 8, Roop Narayan Sunkar, Member Infrastructure, Railway Board (who is also the ex-officio Railways Secretary), said: “In order to ensure safety and reliability of assets, regular maintenance of infrastructure is very important. Time-tested system for maintenance of track already exists in the Railways. However, to emphasise safety during day-to-day working and while carrying out special renewal works, following instructions are reiterated for strict compliance: 1) Field officials who have been provided for maintenance activities must be utilised mainly for maintenance activities. Also, it must be ensured that they spend maximum time on maintenance and work sites.”

Sources in the Railways told Frontline that while field officials are expected to work on maintenance, they are also swamped with other work because of various professional and even personal reasons. In the professional space, a massive staff shortage means that maintenance becomes just one of many roles the field staff specifically allotted to maintenance perform.

Also, there are passages in the letter that seemed to indicate that some rules were not followed, for the sake of train punctuality.

The letter said: “It is essential that adequate duration of traffic block is allowed as per demand. All necessary blocks required for maintenance and rectification of deficiencies should be made available by GMs and DRMs on the Railways/Divisions. Any refusal must bear the express approval of DRM…. The corridor blocks are sacrosanct and shall not require any separate approval. In addition, the works requiring additional duration of blocks/timing of block should be carried by planning mega blocks. Integrated block planning should be made on weekly basis and DRMs should ensure that such block plan is followed on daily basis. The exception report shall be reviewed by GM on weekly basis and comprehensive summary shall be advised to Railway Board.”

A former senior Railways official pointed out that punctuality and safety do not belong in the same sentence. He said: “The basic problem is that punctuality and safety have conflicting requirements. We have to accept that. If you want to go all out for punctuality, you will compromise on safety. What people are doing is that they find some kind of a balance and take care of both. If you want 100 per cent safety, you will follow the rule book and end up delaying trains on the slightest doubt.”

Also Read | Monumental train disaster at Balasore puts issues plaguing Railways in focus

The East Coast Railway’s June 8 circular makes impractical demands of the station master and appears to be another knee-jerk reaction to the accident. The circular insists that the station master take the responsibility of locking all location boxes and cable huts in each station (some stations have two such huts). There is no word, however, about what happens to location boxes and relay huts between stations.

The circular also calls upon the divisional operating heads to ensure that station masters procure “suitable good locks”. All keys will now be with the station master and a register will have to be maintained to write down which signal staffer took the key and for what reason. Station masters have to ensure, through a ‘correspondence test’, that the system is brought to its original state in case of any ongoing work.

Railway staffers across departments will see a slew of similar orders, coming thick and fast on the heels of the accident. But one operations staffer, who has been on the job for over two decades, said that this was par for the course. “There will be some more noise. In a few weeks, this accident too will be forgotten. We will get back to what we were doing,” he said with a cynicism born from experience.

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Impact of alien plants on Western Ghats causes concern

The nowhere people of tughlakabad.

Memory and desire: How movie-watching changed over time

‘Build me a self’: Review of ‘Mother Muse Quintet’ by Naveen Kishore

Remembering to forget: Review of ‘Time Shelter’ by Georgi Gospodinov

Pipeline burst in Guwahati exposes delays, quality gaps in mega projects

GDP estimates fail to adequately capture informal sector

An extrasolar radiation belt, a la Van Allen, seen for the first time

India is haunted by an unprecedented economic deprivation

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Essay on “A Rail Accident” Complete Essay for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

A Rail Accident

Essay No. 01

          Railway accident is very common these days. However, it can be guessed that when thousands of trains run over the rail track every day and some mishap sometimes cannot be ruled out. Accidents may occur due to some mechanical failure, but often they occur due to human error.

          The day before yesterday, a horrible accident took place between two trains near the lock railway station.

          It so happened that the Rajdhani Express was coming at full speed. It was a through train and was thus not to stop at this station.

          The station master gave the wrong signal and the Rajdhani Express re-named into the passenger train which was approaching the station from the opposite directing.

          The two mighty engines struck each other like two fearful demons. Both of them were smashed and the drivers and cleaners of both of them were killed on the spot.

          Two bogies of the Rajdhani Express were destroyed while touring front bogies of the passenger train also met the same fate.

          The railway safety system should be brushed up to make travel risk-free.

Essay No. 02

A Railway Accident

I was traveling from Patna to Delhi on the Patliputra express. It is a night train. There were many people in the compartment

It was a dark but calm night. The stars twinkled in the sky. The train was running at a high speed. Some of the passengers were sleeping.

Others were dozing and occasionally opened their eyes. I was awake.

Suddenly I experienced a massive jerk. There was a deafening roar. The passengers were thrown against the walls of their compartments. The luggage kept on the overhead racks came tumbling down. Many people were trapped under it.

It appeared that our train was involved in a head-on collision Cries and shrieks could be heard from every quarter. There was total confusion. There were no lights anywhere. It was totally dark.

Those who were unhurt got out of their compartments. Luckily I was also unhurt. On coming out we found that the first three bogies of the train were completely smashed. The engine lay toppled to one side

Nearly all the passengers of the first three bogies were crushed to death. Some lay seriously wounded, while others were buried under the debris. There was nobody to help them.

The morning sun revealed a grim and tragic sight. A small baby was crying for his mother. He was fortunate that his mother had survived the crash and crawled over the pieces of luggage to pick him up. Others were not so lucky. They had succumbed to their injuries. The body of the engine driver was beyond recognition. He had died trying to save the train from the collision. His last act was to apply the emergency breaks. It was because of this act that the passengers of the last six bogies had remained unhurt.

The ambulances arrived. With it came the medical aid and volunteers. They began removing the dead and the wounded to the nearby hospital. The sight of so much death and destruction was very heartrending,

Inquiries revealed that the accident had occurred due to the carelessness of the pointsman. He had given line clear, even when the goods train stood in the yard. His carelessness had cost many people their lives and had resulted in damage worth millions of Rupees.

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What can the Railways do to stop accidents? | Explained Premium

What led to the mishap involving the kanchanjunga express in north bengal what is the protocol when automatic signals are not working would the kavach system have averted a collision why is it taking time to be installed what about manpower shortage.

Updated - June 23, 2024 10:21 am IST

Published - June 23, 2024 03:57 am IST

The remains of a goods train, which rammed into the Kanchanjunga Express near New Jalpaiguri station in West Bengal. | Photo Credit: AP

The story so far: On June 17, a train accident killed 10 people and injured over 40 near New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, about 600 km from Kolkata. The mishap was caused when a goods train hit the 13174 Down Agartala Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express in the rear at 8.55 a.m. The two trains were manually cleared to run in the same block section, a mere 15 minutes apart, since automatic signalling was malfunctioning between the Ranipatra and Chattar Hat stations which fall under the Northeast Frontier Railway.

What was the initial response of the Railway Board?

The Railway Board initially said the prima facie cause of the accident was that the loco pilot of the GFCJ container train (goods train), who died in the accident, disregarded the Railways’ General and Subsidiary Rules (G&SR) and proceeded at normal speed which led to the collision with the Kanchanjunga Express. The Railways has ordered a statutory inquiry.

Who is at fault?

The Railway Board initially blamed the loco pilot of the goods train; this was later rescinded , but the damage had already been done. It is impossible to operate a train across a block section on the instruction of one person; there’s a chain of command and a list of procedures that need to be followed. For instance, the station masters of stations between which a train is running, the section controller (who is stationed at the divisional headquarters and monitors all rake movements), the signal staff and the gatemen between the stations have to be informed in a particular manner, and a line clearance obtained before a train leaves a station. If there is a discrepancy — like an automatic signal failure, for example — it has to be immediately escalated. In this case, the Katihar division (where the accident occurred) Railway Manager Surendra Kumar stated on record that the gateman had informed Rangapani station about the goods train on the same track as the Kanchanjunga Express. An inquiry will take into consideration this statement, and explore who all were privy to this information. While the inquiry will establish the shortcomings which led to the accident, the Railways has often been seen to take action against lower level staff, while officers at higher levels have gone scot-free after accidents.

Is signal failure a routine event?

In a paper, ‘ Analysis Report by High Level Safety Review Committee ,’ (2017), Mukesh Mehrotra, a chief signal engineer, noted that only 3% of the accidents in Indian Railways are due to “failure of equipment.” During signal failure, trains can be operated under caution. The station master issues a TA-912 notice, which authorises loco pilots to cross a signal in red during signal failures, and a ‘line clear’ ticket, under the G&SR. The combination empowers the loco pilot to move forward. In this situation, the rule book says that the “driver shall proceed cautiously, so as to stop short [at] any obstruction.” But if there is no prior indication that a signal is defective and the loco pilot suddenly encounters a red signal (stop sign) when the train is on the move, the loco pilot has to stop at the defective signal for a minute during day time, and for two minutes during night time. After this, the loco pilot is expected to proceed with extreme caution at a speed of 15 kmph. This procedure is not applicable when a ‘line clear’ ticket has been issued. Trains are not detained at wayside stations till the signals are set right. The only rule is that there should be only one train between two block sections at any given point of time. Another train can enter only after this train has left that block section.

Would Kavach have prevented the accident ?

Yes. But the much-touted anti-collision device, Kavach , was not installed on this route. Kavach would have slowed down the freight train (it was moving at 45 kmph at the time of accident) as the automatic braking system would have become operational. However, progress on implementation of Kavach has been slow because of lack of vendors. According to the Railway Board, the Kavach system is operational in only 1,500 km. The entire Railways spans nearly 68,000 km.

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Despite rising number of accidents, Kavach work still on the slow track

Kanchanjungha Express collision: Railway Board says anti-train collision system not in place on route

Railway accidents are rare if one takes this statistic into consideration: a minuscule 0.03 accidents happened per million km in both 2020-21 and 2021-22. But this number becomes infructuous if we consider the fact that there were 34 consequential train accidents in 2021-22 in which nine were killed and 45 injured. In 2022-23, however, there were 48 consequential train accidents. In fact, June 2023 witnessed the worst train accident in about two decades in Balasore, where nearly 300 passengers died.

How big of a role does human failure play?

Human failure is a major reason for accidents. In fact, almost all accidents in the recent past have listed human failure as one of the reasons. This includes the derailment of two passenger trains at Kothavalasa railway station (near Vizianagaram) in 2023; the disastrous accident in Balasore involving the Chennai-bound Coromandel Express, the Bangalore-Howrah Express and a goods train; and the 2018 derailment of the New Farakka Express.

But this is not applicable in this case. The crew of the GFCJ container train had complete rest before they signed on in the morning of June 17. Loco pilot Anil Kumar, who died in the accident, signed in at 6:44 am after a night off (he had more than 30 hours of rest). His assistant, ALP Monu Kumar, signed in at 06:42 am. His last sign-off was at 1 pm on June 15.

This cannot obliterate the fact that there are thousands of vacancies across Indian Railways for loco pilots. On June 20, the Indian Railways has pegged the vacancies at 18,799.

What more needs to be done?

Several committees have closely examined the question of Railway safety. While some of the recommendations have been accepted, others have not been considered for implementation. For instance, one of the most important recommendations of the Kakodkar Committee is related to division of responsibilities: “Three vital functions (rule-making, operations and the regulation) are all vested in the Railway Board. There is need for an independent mechanism for safety regulation. The Committee recommends the creation of a statutory Railway Safety Authority with enough powers to have a safety oversight on the operational mode of Railways.” At a macro-level, Ramesh Subramanian ( Evolution and Diffusion of ICTs in Indian Railways: A Historical Analysis, 2022 ) argues that since “Indian Railways’ fortunes are vastly dictated by political needs rather than profitability,” capital available to be invested in newer technologies is limited. The Indian passenger cannot afford massive expenses for modernising the system.

Hence, the Union government has to prioritise. For starters, it needs debates in Parliament to forge a political consensus on the direction of growth of Indian Railways.

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Short essay on Railway Accidents Causes and Remedies (India)

India has the dubious distinction of the highest accidents both on toads and railway- tracks.

India has the dubious distinction of the highest accidents both on toads and railway- tracks. Even over skies are not free from fatal accidents. Indian Air Force aircrafts involvement in frequent accidents and air crashes is now a well-know tact Travel in India has become very hazardous. About 60.000 lives are lust every year in road accidents.

This fatality rate is 25 times that of USA. On an average 6 persons die every day on the roads of Delhi alone. Similarly, the railway tracks are virtually red with human blood. During the last three year, (ending September 1997) there were about 1400 deaths in train accidents.

The number of those killed in train accidents in the current year is already over 200. The unmanned railway crossings also take their heavy toils. Many people die while crossing the railway lines at such points. Recently in a train accident of the Ahmadabad-Howrah Express at Chempa, near Bilasir in Madhya Pradesh, over 100 passengers lost their lives.

Image Source: blogs.ft.com

The marked rise in the number of train accidents in India is a matter of great concern and yet the concerned authorities have not done much to make the traveling by train’s safe and secure, it has become a routine to order an enquiry after an accident, pay compensation under the rules and then everything is forgotten till another tragedy strikes and passengers die while traveling.

The number of those injured wounded and Incapacitated for life is many times hip her than those killed in railways accidents. It amounts to colossal losses in men and material and also a great national tragedy. It is a sad commentary on the poor managementof our railways and continued apathy towards railway safety and maintenance.

The Champa railway accident was the result of shear negligence and casual approach to the safety measures. Intheis case all the mandatory safety rules were thrown to the winds. The track was under repair and yet on caution order was not issued to the driver of the train from the control from nor was the red flags put up at the required place to Synopsis: warn the approaching train of the repairs going on the track.

The flag was put up only 16 meters from the repair site instead of mandatory 1,200 meters away. Moreover, the repair work was being carried out even while the sun was setting against the strict rule that no such work should be done while the run is setting when the visibility is really poor.

The driver of the ill-fated Ahmedabad-Howrah Express train had to apply emergency brakes just 16 meters away from the site of accident. Consequently the train derailed and five of the coaches rolled down into the river while the sixth one remained dangling in the air over the bridge and the seventh was only derailed but did not overturn.

This is not a case of negligence and callousness insulation. The tragic tale keeps on repeating itself. Just a few days after this accident another train Delhi-Ahmedabad Express derailed near Jaipur.

Indian Railways is the largest public sector undertaking which Toasts of having 7,043 stations spread over route length of 62,000 km with a fleet of 7,806 locomotives, 39,929 coaches, 3,444 electric multiple units and 3,46,394 till 1933. It is also the largest employer in the world with about 2 lakh employees.

But as far as safety is concerned, it is far below the international standards. The poor and common passengers are the worst victims, there are too many mechanical and human failures resulting in frequent accidents. It is said that there is lack of funds which does not allow the required improvement in the safety standards.

But on the other hand there was open criticism of the railway Minister Paswan and it was alleged that his monthly food bill alone amounted to Rs.3 lakh. The railways had to spend Rs.5 lakh to host his iftaar party during Ramjan. It is said that Mr.Ram Vilas Paswan has also been indulging in distributing favous and largesse.

During the preceding 6 months alone he gave away Rs. 1.11 core as cash prizes to various railway employs and officers of his home State Bihar. On July 21, 1997 he went to his constituency Hajipur in Bihar and rewarded 8 officers whe cash prize of Rs.20, 000. The same day he gave away Rs. 50,000 to the Railway Protection Force personnel who had given away Rs. 20, 000 again to RPF personnel who had escorted him to riot-affected areas in Mumbai.

The story of his largesse, doles and favours is endless. It is not applicable to him only. His predecessors too, had indulged in such doles at the public expense. It reminds of Nero, the Roman Emperor (37-68 AD) who made merry while Rome was on fire. Unfortunately India has many Neros, while the capital of Rome had only one. In reply, as is usual, Mr.Paswan denied the allegation of extravagance and said the reports were exaggerated.

Undoubtedly, there is no accountability and responsibility in the operation of Indian Railways. Take, for example, the construction of over bridges on railway crossing where innumerable accidents take place and poor people lose their lives.

The Railway authorities say that the expenditure on the construction of the overhead bridges at railway crossings is to be shared 50:50 between the concerned State Governments and the Railways, but the former in many a case do not pay their share and so the over bridges are not constructed.

Similarly, in the case of bomb blasts in railways, and on its tracks, the minister concerned says that it is the responsibility of the State governments to ensure such safety and security in their respective territories and not that of the Railways.

Bomb blasts and explosions in the trains are now on the increase. Scores of people die and many times over are injured and maimed in these blasts. Poor passengers travel at their own risk in the trains and are a worried OT till the journey is safely over.

The Railways complain of paucity of the funds while its assets utilization rate is not up to the standard. Most of its land lies unused and unutilized which can yield very god dividends if put to proper and planned utilization. It is also reported that 40% of its goods wagon movement is empty.

Moreover, Indian Railways offer over to its travelers so much so that almost half the passengers on a train are discount passengers. During 1995-96 it transportation of essential goods, safety of the passengers cannot be compromised because of lack of funds. It is the biggest public enterprise and must generate enough profits to fend for itself. But there is no professionalism and accountability and corruption id rampant.

Indian Railways have failed miserably in the matter of passenger safetyu and security. It has failed so far to provide walkie-talki8es to the train drivers so that they con contact the control rooms in case of any emergency. Again the lack of funds is advanced as an argument.

If the driver of the ill-fated Ahmedabad-Howrah Express had this facility of walkie-talkie he could have been informed of the impending danger and the tragedy averted. But it could not be done and again the problem of the funds was put forward as a lame excuse.

On the other hand the political leaders are busy granting various railway favours to their own people, regions and States, for example, the present Railway Minister has set up 45 new un remunertive lines to backward regions incurring judge expenditure and losses simply keeping in view the party interests and its vote- bank. Such populist measures at the cost of public expense and safety are condemnable.

The cases of train dacoities, robberies, thefts etc. are also on the increase. The tendency of introducing new and high speed trains like Shatabdis, Rajdhanis etc. without is also responsible for frequent accidents. In the opinion of the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety “in providing maintenance trains is in default. This is an unsafe practice.

Recently on 2nd October (1997) a new high speed train Shatabdi to Amritsar was introduced without proper preparation in respect of infrastructure framework. It was done expressly to please the Prime Minister and his home State Punjab in spite of the opposition by railway officials. It is said that the infrastructure was unlikely to be in place in the immediate future.

These are really disturbing trends. It is reported that Mr.Ram Vilas Paswan has introduced so far 200 new trains since he assumed office of the Railway Minister in May 1996. His predecessor Suresh Kalmadi started 67 new trains during his brief stint and jaffer Sharief introduced over 300 new trains.

The authorities cannot escape the responsibility of introducing to many new trains without proper maintenance and operational facilities. On the one hand it is said there is paucity of funds, on the other it is alleged that the funds allocated for improvement of tracks, signaling, passenger amenities and other safety measures were returned unused.

It reflects that there is no responsibility and accountability and a sort of chaos prevails. There is Dlatant favouritism in granting railway contracts and employment of personnel. There is no accord between the authorities on the top and the various railway officials and resultant deaths and suffering.

To reduce the railway accidents and ensure greater safety and security effective and immediate remedial measures should be taken. There should be proper accountability and responsibility and railways should be managed and operated professionally and with commitment to earn enough profits commensurate with the judge investments, it should not be run either as a charitable institution or a personal fiefdom.

Modern advanced technologies and automatic signaling systems should be introduced in all sectors of the undertaking, Expert foreign advice and expertise should be sought to eliminate mechanical failures. Indiscriminate introduced of trains, specially high speed trains, should not be allowed without prior arrangement of infrastructure facilities.

The saturated trunk routes between different bin cities should be taken special care of in respect of maintenance of engines, rolling stocks, tracks, signaling equipments etc. Proper regular inspection, repairs and up gradation of the tracks should be done.

The guards and drivers of all the important trains should be provided with walkie-talkies initially and then the facility should be extended to all trains. Over bridges on the railway crossings should be constructed or at least there should be no unmanned level crossing.

Party and personal consideration should not bw allowed to interfere in the policy, planning and operation of the rains. At least some of the operations of the railways can be privatized to generate additional profits and to ensure more efficiency.

There are huge chunks of railway land which can be exploited commercially. In the rural areas they can be used for cultivation and plantation. Above all, the corruption should be dealt with an iron hand.

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Train Crash in India Leaves at Least 8 Dead and Dozens Injured

The death toll was expected to rise after a passenger train and a freight train collided in the state of West Bengal.

By Pragati K.B.

Reporting from Bengaluru, India

A freight train collided with a passenger train in eastern India on Monday, killing at least eight people and injuring 50 others, officials said.

The episode occurred at around 9 a.m. when the Kanchanjunga Express, which was carrying passengers to the state of West Bengal from the state of Tripura, was leaving the Rangapani station. Four coaches of the popular and often-crowded passenger train derailed when it was rammed from behind by the commercial train. Images from the accident site showed one of the passenger coaches lifted off the railway track and balancing on a coach of the freight train.

The death toll was likely to rise. Local news outlets, citing police officials, reported at least 15 people dead. The driver and the assistant driver of the freight train and a guard on the passenger train were among those killed.

Jaya Varma Sinha, the chairperson of India’s railway board, said rescue operations were completed. Ashwini Vaishnaw, India’s railway minister, was en route to the site.

The relatively low number of casualties could be attributed to the fact that the rear portion of the Kanchanjunga Express, which took the biggest impact from the collision, comprised cargo coaches and the guard’s coach. Passengers were in compartments far forward from the impact.

While an investigation has been ordered to look into the cause of the collision, Ms. Sinha said human error such as disregarding a railway signal could have caused the crash.

The accident again brings to the fore the issue of rail safety in a country whose millions of poor residents rely on railways for transport. India’s rail network is one of the world’s largest and is crucial to the country’s economy and its people’s lives and livelihood.

The country has, in recent years, invested heavily on rail safety after a long history of deadly accidents. Although the overall number of rail accidents has lessened over the past decade, incidents with mass casualties have persisted. Last June, 290 people were killed when two passenger trains collided after one of them struck a stationary freight train at full speed and derailed in the state of Odisha.

After that incident, opposition leaders demanded the resignation of Mr. Vaishnaw, the railway minister. He has said he was trying to expand a safety system, called Kavach, that is meant to prevent accidents when two trains are moving on the same track. Ms. Sinha said the technology had not yet been deployed on the route of the Kanchanjunga Express.

Pragati K.B. is a reporter based in New Delhi, covering news from across India. More about Pragati K.B.

502 Words Short Essay on a railway accident (free to read)

Nowadays accidents have become part and parcel in our daily routine life. Not a single day passes without them. Whether they are road-accidents or they are train accidents or air-crashes, they definitely occur eveiyday in various parts of the world.

Our daily newspapers contain several news associated with them and several channels of television use to show full coverage’s of such accidents we get sympathized when we watch men and women crying for their kith and kin who have been killed in these accidents. But one can realize the cruelty of such incidents, when he becomes one of the victims.

One day I was travelling by Magadh Express from Patna to Delhi. I started from Patna at 6.10. There was a great rush in the train. Everyone seemed to be in hurry. All were looking for their seats. I too was in search of a suitable place and luckily I got it soon.

The train started at its scheduled time. Everything was OK and all seemed to be in merry mood. The train had hardly gone three-four kilometres when we felt terrible jerks with deafening sound. I fell down upon a man who was sitting on the floor.

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Soon another man fell down. The next moment a box fell upon a woman and she became unconscious. In a few seconds there occurred great disorder. The children and women started crying at top of their voice. There was a fear in their voice. Men were groaning out of pain. I was also wounded. As soon as I was able to stand up, I realized the whole situation. Other passengers too had guessed what was going to be discovered.

And finally it was discovered that a bomb went off in the general compartment, third coach from the train engine. The tragedy was too shocking to describe. I saw several passengers were struggling for life because they had been seriously injured. Several passengers were burnt and their faces were beyond recognition. We heard cries and moaning from every side.

Some ladies were crying bitterly because their children were killed. A woman had lost the company of her husband and was searching, for him here and there like a mad person. The scene was really very pathetic and tragic.

Soon a Railway Medical Van had rushed to the spot. Along the accident victims I also was taken to nearby Medical camp. Later on, I was discharged after some first aids to my wounds. But the seriously injured passengers took enough time to be recovered.

I can never forget that accident which took so many lives. But at the same time I am shocked to think that such kind of accidents are purchased one type not occurred of any cause beyond our hands. I do not understand why some people are indulged in terrorist acts. What do they obtain at the loss of innocent lives? I simply pray to God to divert the mind of such people into positive direction so that such incidents may not occur.

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Jul 10, 2011

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Train crash in eastern India kills 15, injures dozens

• Medium Text
• 15 dead after freight train rams into passenger train
• Accident blamed on freight driver disregarding signal
• Incident reflects government negligence, opposition leader says

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Reporting by Subrata Nag Choudhary and Sudipto Ganguly, writing by Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Mark Potter

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Fresh Western munitions satiate Ukrainian forces 'shell hunger'

Ukrainian troops trying to hold their ground on the eastern front in Donetsk region may still be outnumbered by Russian forces, but the "shell hunger" that plagued them for months as ammunitions started to run out is now behind them.

Up to 15 reported killed in Indian train collision

The incident is the latest to hit India’s creaking rail network, which carries millions of passengers each day.

As many as 15 people have been killed and dozens injured after a freight train collided with a passenger train in India’s West Bengal state.

The cargo train hit the Kanchanjunga Express in the Darjeeling district of the eastern state on Monday morning. Initial reports suggest that the cause of the accident was human error. India’s busy railways record hundreds of accidents every year.

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At least 15 bodies have been pulled from the mangled carriages, Abhishek Roy, a senior police official in the eastern state’s district of Darjeeling, the site of the accident, told the Reuters news agency.

Nearly 30 people were injured and rescue teams from the police and national disaster response force were working with doctors and residents of the area to clear debris from the derailed carriages, Roy added.

Sabyasachi De, the spokesperson of the Northeast Frontier Railway, said three of the dead were railway personnel.

Doctors, ambulances and disaster teams were dispatched to the site of the crash, which occurred close to the New Jalpaiguri station, West Bengal’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on X.

“Action on war-footing initiated,” she said. Labelling the incident as “tragic”, she did not offer immediate confirmation of casualties.

Shocked to learn, just now, about a tragic train accident, in Phansidewa area of Darjeeling district. While details are awaited, Kanchenjunga Express has reportedly been hit by a goods train. DM, SP, doctors, ambulances and disaster teams have been rushed to the site for rescue,… — Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) June 17, 2024

TV pictures showed one train rammed into the end of the other, with one compartment rising vertically in the air. Swarms of people had gathered at the spot, where rescuers were searching for victims.

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the injured were being taken to hospital.

The accident happened after the driver of the freight train disregarded a signal and hit the rear end of the express train, Jaya Varma Sinha, the head of the railway board that runs the countrywide network, told reporters.

Four compartments at the rear of the passenger train went off the rails due to the impact, most of which were carrying cargo while one was a passenger coach, according to De, the railway spokesperson.

More than 12 million people ride 14,000 trains across India daily, travelling on a network of 64,000km (40,000 miles).

In recent years India has invested huge sums to upgrade the network with modern stations and electronic signalling systems. However, despite the push to improve rail safety, several hundred accidents happen annually, most blamed on human error or outdated signalling equipment.

Last year, a train crash in eastern India killed at least 280 people in one of the country’s deadliest rail crashes in decades.

The Kanchanjunga Express is a daily train that connects West Bengal with other cities in the northeast of India. It is often used by tourists who travel to the hill station of Darjeeling, popular at this time of year when several Indian cities are sweltering in the heat.

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Preliminary report on Kanchanjunga train crash blames goods train crew

The majority opinion held that the accident may have occurred due to non-following of rules regarding passing automatic signals at danger position and possible excessive speed of the goods train.

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Tragedy in darjeeling as trains collide, lack of kavach raises questions, kanchanjunga express train accident highlights: restoration and rescue work underway, say officials, kanchanjunga express train accident in bengal kills 9, some feared trapped, kanchanjunga express train collision reason 'identified' by railways, kanchanjunga crash: goods train was moving at 4 times permitted speed, nia arrests key operative linked with canada-based khalistani terrorist, blade-like object found in-flight meal: fssai issues notice to tajsats, day is not far when people of jk will elect its own local govt: pm, share of minority applicants and beneficiaries in pm svanidhi fell: rti, neet 2024: prime accused admits to arranging exam papers for 4 candidates.

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First Published: Jun 20 2024 | 10:58 PM IST

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638 train accidents between 2014-2023 under NDA rule. Know UPA stats

The recent train accident involving kanchanjunga express has reignited the debate over whether pm modi-led nda has managed the india railways better than manmohan singh's upa..

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• Train accidents under NDA (2014-2023) significantly less compared to UPA (2004-2014)
• UPA recorded 867 train derailments, while NDA reported 426 such cases
• Rail safety expenditure tripled post-2014, with annual spend at Rs 17,801 crore

The deadly train accident involving Kanchanjunga Express in West Bengal, which left 10 people dead and several injured, has snowballed into a political slugfest. Many opposition leaders have demanded the resignation of Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

The recent train mishap has reignited the debate over whether the NDA government since 2014 has managed the railways better than the UPA government in 2004-2014.

Government data accessed by India Today TV reveals a significant decline in the number of train accidents during the NDA government as compared to the UPA government. Let's have a look.

From 2004 to 2014, a total of 1,711 railway accidents happened. In contrast, from 2014 to March 2023, under the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) rule, the number of these mishaps recorded was 638.

In terms of casualties, the UPA era saw 2,453 lives lost and 4,486 injuries in train accidents, while the NDA period recorded 781 deaths and 1,543 injuries.

The UPA era recorded 867 train derailment cases between 2002-2014, while the NDA period saw 426 such incidents between 2014-2023.

Under UPA rule, the average number of train derailments per annum stood at 86.7. However, this number dropped to 47.3 per annum between 2014 and 2023 under the NDA regime.

Between 2004 and 2014, there were 171 consequential train accidents per annum on average. This figure declined to 71 per annum from 2014 to 2023. Notably, the number of consequential train derailments saw a steep decrease from 350 in 2000-01 to just 36 in 2022-23.

Under the UPA, the number of train accidents per million train kilometres decreased from 0.29 in 2004-05 to 0.10 in 2013-14. Under the NDA, this figure further declined from 0.11 in 2014-15 to 0.037 in March 2023.

In terms of budget allocation for track renewal, between FY15 and FY23, an annual expenditure of Rs 10,201 crore was directed by the NDA regime, compared to Rs 4,702 crore spent during FY05 to FY14 under UPA rule.

Over the past nine years, Indian Railways has allocated Rs 1,78,012 crore towards rail safety, including the budget estimate for FY24.

Election latest: PM should show 'leadership' and suspend betting suspects; Sunak and Starmer 'to dine together'

Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer are both set to attend a state banquet as part of a state visit by the emperor of Japan. Ruth Davidson has called for the prime minister to ignore the Gambling Commission and suspend the alleged betters in his party.

Tuesday 25 June 2024 06:51, UK

• General Election 2024
• Sunak should show 'leadership' and suspend alleged betters
• Starmer and Sunak to dine together with Japanese emperor
• Sunak: I got this job as the result of a mistake
• PM reveals Tories are investigating betting scandal
• Live reporting by Tim Baker

Election essentials

• Manifesto pledges: Alliance Party | Conservatives | DUP | Greens | Labour | Lib Dems | Plaid Cymru | Reform | SNP | Sinn Fein | Workers Party
• Trackers:  Who's leading polls? | Is PM keeping promises?
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• Follow Sky's politics podcasts: Electoral Dysfunction | Politics At Jack And Sam's
• Read more:  Who is standing down? | Key seats to watch | What counts as voter ID? | Check if your constituency is changing | Guide to election lingo | Sky's election night plans

By Jennifer Scott , political reporter

Reducing knife crime will be a "moral mission" for Labour if it wins the general election on 4 July, Sir Keir Starmer will say on Tuesday.

The party leader will outline his plan to halve knife crime over the next 10 years, including creating a new cross-government "coalition" to work on solutions - including families of victims and survivors of knife crime, along with tech companies and relevant organisations.

Sir Keir will also promise to chair an annual knife crime summit to "track progress" on the target, and appeal to all parties to work together on the issue.

"Knife crime is an issue above and beyond party politics," he will say. "For the parents grieving sons and daughters who never came home, action to end this scourge cannot wait.

"Far too often we hear the same stories from grieving families who have been subject to these brutal murders carried out by children.

"It is our duty as political leaders of all stripes to work together to end knife crime and keep our young people safe."

Figures from Labour showed knife-related offences had risen by 81% since 2015 across England and Wales.

The party's pledges for after the election include increasing the penalties for carrying a knife - including custody in the most serious cases, as well as extending the list of banned knives.

Read the full story here:

By Beth Rigby , political editor

It's hard for politicians to cut through. It's even harder when you are leading the fourth largest party in parliament with only 11 MPs.

How do you insert yourself into a conversation that's happening largely between the Conservatives and Labour, with a sprinkling of Reform's Nigel Farage in the mix?

Well, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has done it two ways.

The first through endless silly stunts - be it repeatedly falling off a paddleboard on Lake Windermere or riding a giant waterslide in his swimming trunks in Somerset.

But the second, and far more profound, way to reach voters has been to open up about his own childhood, caring for his dying mother, and now, as a father himself, raising a disabled son.

The decision to make a highly personal election broadcast, which showed Sir Ed at home with his 16-year old son John, as well as footage of him at his childhood home in Nottingham talking about his mother dying of breast cancer when he was 15, has, in part, been to highlight the world of carers.

But it has also been to try to show a side of this political leader the electorate don't know.

Since the short film was released three weeks weeks ago, it has been viewed over 6.4 million times on the leader's X feed. That is what you call cut through.

Read the full story below:

The latest episode of the Electoral Dysfunction podcast is out, with Sky political editor Beth Rigby chatting to former Scottish Conservative leader Baroness Ruth Davidson, and ex-Labour adviser Baroness Ayesha Hazarika.

At one point, the discussion turns to the Conservative betting scandal.

A number of Conservative candidates and officials are being investigated over whether they bet on the time of the election before Rishi Sunak announced it - but they have not been suspended from the party.

The Tories say they cannot take further public action due to the Gambling Commission's investigation.

But Lady Davidson says Mr Sunak should ignore the watchdog.

She said: "The Gambling Commission are very, very clear about what you're not allowed to say when somebody's being investigated by the Gambling Commission.

"But I'm sorry, you're the prime minister of a G7 nation in the middle of an election campaign when you're fighting for your life... If the Gambling Commission want to shout at you for suspending somebody and saying that, just do it.

"That's what leadership is."

She added that she thought "nothing was going to be worse than leaving D-Day early" - but the betting allegations are "reinforcing already bad opinions".

👉  Click here to follow Electoral Dysfunction wherever you get your podcasts  👈

Welcome back to the Politics Hub.

Today's campaigning will have a unique dynamic to it due to the state visit from the Japanese emperor and empress.

While the monarch is not expected to visit Downing Street or give a speech in parliament due to the election, he will be heading to a state banquet this evening at Buckingham Palace.

Both Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer are expected to be in attendance at the dinner - an evening slightly differed to the two televised events it is nestled between.

Coming up this morning on Sky News:

• Illegal migration minister and Conservative candidate Michael Tomlinson at 7.15am ;
• Labour shadow minister and candidate Nick Thomas-Symonds at 8.15am.

We'll be back from 6am with all the latest from the election campaign.

We're in the last few days of the race for Number 10 - and parties from across the House of Commons are accelerating their efforts.

Join us in the morning for more live updates.

Reducing knife crime will be a "moral mission" for Labour if it wins the election on 4 July, Sir Keir Starmer will say on Tuesday.

The party leader will outline his plan to halve knife crime over the next 10 years, including creating a new cross-government "coalition" to work on solutions - bringing in families of victims and survivors of knife crime, along with tech companies and relevant organisations. 

Sir Keir will also promise to chair an annual knife crime summit to "track progress" on the target, and appeal to all parties to work together on the issue. 

"Knife crime is an issue above and beyond party politics," he will say. "For the parents grieving sons and daughters who never came home, action to end this scourge cannot wait.

"Far too often we hear the same stories from grieving families who have been subject to these brutal murders carried out by children. 

Figures from Labour showed knife-related offences had risen by 81% since 2015 across England and Wales. 

The party's pledges for after the election include increasing the penalties for carrying a knife - including custody in the most serious cases, as well as extending the list of banned knives. 

Its 10pm - here's your late night general election bulletin.

We're into the last full week of the election campaign, with just 10 days left until polling day - and things are heating up.

Here's a run down of everything you may have missed:

• Rishi Sunak  today said he is not being investigated by the Gambling Commission over the betting scandal;
• He confirmed the Conservative Party is carrying out its own investigation - and will pass its findings on to the Gambling Commission ;
• The prime minister later took part in an election Q&A with The Sun, in which he insisted he only took the top job "as the result of a mistake" made by Liz Truss ;
• He also failed to confirm whether he called a summer election to avoid potential legal trouble over Rwanda flights taking off in July;
• Meanwhile, economists have lambasted a "conspiracy of silence" from the main parties over their tax and spending plans - read more below:
• Over to Labour, which has offered to meet Harry Potter author JK Rowling to provide her with "assurances" over the protection of women-only spaces; 
• Sir Keir Starmer also took part in the election Q&A, and he admitted that he "understands" why people are confused by his shift in stance on Jeremy Corbyn;
• And Lord Richard Dannatt, the former head of the army, has said Nigel Farage is "not worth listening to about anything" - particularly relating to the war in Ukraine;
• The Reform leader said last week the West had contributed to the invasion of Ukraine;
• He has launched a blistering attack aimed at his one-time ally Boris Johnson - highlighting a front page showing Mr Johnson holding a similar stance on Russia back in 2016.

A flurry of general elections since 2015 has brought an unprecedented churn in our parliamentary representatives.

This year, two in five MPs aren't seeking re-election and the picture for the Conservatives is record-breakingly grim.

An unparalleled total of 23% of Conservative MPs are calling it a day in 2024, more than the previous high of 22% of Tories who quit in 1997, another year of boundary changes.

In contrast, only 15% of Labour MPs are resigning.

There are many reasons MPs quit: from retirement, family commitments and health concerns to career change, abolished constituencies, and the prospect of defeat.

But their decision to depart can reveal much about life in Westminster and have a significant impact on parliament's mix of experience, demographics, and the direction of political parties.

Dr Sofia Collignon, associate professor in Comparative Politics, analyses the churn in our representatives here:

Wales is a Labour heartland, but it's clearly in the sights of other parties during this election campaign.

Reform UK even launched its manifesto in a town in the south of the country, Merthyr Tydfil.

Although Wales has its own parliament and makes most of its own decisions, they still elect MPs who stand in Westminster.

Sky's Wales reporter Tomos Evans explains how the cost of living, steel industry and nuclear energy will be key issues for voters.

By David Blevins , senior Ireland correspondent

Northern Ireland's first and deputy first ministers have condemned the Conservative Party for the impact of Brexit on the region.

Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill told Sky News the current government had "played fast and loose" with the Good Friday Agreement.

Emma Little-Pengelly, of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), said Northern Ireland was the victim of the Tories having "botched Brexit".

Doug Beattie, the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader, accused the "chaotic" Tory government of "destroying the cohesion of the United Kingdom".

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