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Pushpa Girimaji
argues about the need for better rail safety norms
Year after year, train accidents take a heavy toll, raising a question mark on the capabilities of the Railways to ensure passenger safety. Yet, instead of concentrating on improving the safety and efficiency of the exiting network, the Railways think it fit to add new trains with unfailing regularity. Whoever may be the Railway Minister, there is invariably a common thread running along all rail budgets which is the announcement of new trains. The train routes may vary, depending on the constituency of the Railway Minister, but a list of new trains is announced without fail, never mind whether the railway infrastructure is capable of supporting them or not. Now the Parliamentary Standing Committee has recommended that the Railways should first get the concurrence of the Commission of Railway Safety before introducing any new passenger train. The recommendations of the committee call for a comprehensive legislation to force the Railways to go by the advise of the commission on all safety matters so that there is no compromise with passenger safety. In its 83rd report presented to the Rajya Sabha last month, the department-related parliamentary standing committee on transport, tourism and culture, observed that a number of new trains were introduced every year to meet the demand of the travelling public. "The present system in the country is already overstressed and it is important to ensure that all infrastructure facilities cater to the safe running of additional trains with due safety margins. It is essential that such facilities are in position before adding any burden of additional trains." Referring to the Railways’ response to its queries in this regard that before introduction of any new train, certification of available maintenance infrastructure at either end is given by two officers in charge of operation and maintenance, after due consultation with the agencies concerned, the committee said it was not satisfied with the adequacy of such measure. It said the main task of the Commission of Railway Safety was to direct, advise and caution the railway executives and assist them in ensuring that all stipulated measures are taken with regard to the soundness of rail construction and safety in train operations. The committee said the existing statutory provisions should be amended to make it mandatory for the Railways to seek the concurrence of the safety commission before starting any new train. The committee expressed displeasure that the inquiry reports of the Commission of Railway Safety on accidents were either not published or published too late and as a result, the public was kept in the dark about the actual cause of the accidents. The committee recommended that the commission be made an autonomous statutory body. Presently, the commission is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, while for the discharge of its functions, it derives certain statutory powers from the Railways Act. |
