Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday (October 2) spoke about the railway accidents in the country and assured that efforts are underway to resolve systematic and structural issues. The rail minister made these remarks at a ‘Swacchata Abhiyan’ event in Kolkata.
Vaishnaw highlighted that the annual number of railway accidents has significantly decreased from 171 a decade ago to just 40 currently, reflecting a reduction of over 60 to 70 per cent.
“We are trying to find the root cause of any accident and are trying to resolve structural and systematic issues. If we look at the situation 10 years ago, there were 171 accidents per year, and now it has come down to just 40 per year, and is also reducing significantly every year,” Vaishnaw said.
Rail accidents reduced by 60-70%
The Railway Minister noted that the average number of derailments has dropped from around 400 to 500 during the UPA government to only 80 today, attributing this improvement to enhanced employee training and technological advancements.
“Accidents have reduced by more than 60 to 70 per cent. During the UPA government, the average number of derailment incidents used to be around 400 to 500 which have now come down to 80. As we keep on improving the training practices of our employees and work on technology, things are improving and we are extremely happy about it,” he said.
Kavach system progress
Vaishnaw also discussed the progress of the Kavach system, stating that its development has reached a crucial milestone, with Kavach 4.0 successfully installed between Kota and Sawai Madhopur.
The system has been implemented on 2,000 kilometers and 900 locomotives, with plans for nationwide installation. “Kavach has been installed on 2000 kilometres and on 900 locomotives and now it will be done around the country. We have received the highest level of safety certification from globally recognized safety asccessors,” he added.
Additionally, Vaishnaw extended his best wishes to the public for Shubho Mahalya and announced the inauguration of a bridge aimed at enhancing West Bengal’s railway infrastructure.
He confirmed that the capacity of the Sealdah suburban services would increase from nine to 12 coaches, which would also be inaugurated on the same day.