Explainer: Train derailment in Odisha brings to fore the issue of track maintenance
The derailment of the 12551 Bengaluru-Kamakhya Superfast Express near Nergundi station in Odisha’s Cuttack district on Sunday has once again brought to the fore the issue of track maintenance.
Preliminary findings suggested that poor maintenance of tracks led to the mishap on Sunday that claimed one life.
According to the Parliament’s Public Account Committee’s report, most incidents of derailment were caused by indifferent maintenance of track.
The PAC’s 132nd report covering 2023-24, uploaded on the Lok Sabha portal during the ongoing Budget Session, said 167 cases out of 460 cases of derailments were found to be related to maintenance of tracks. Deviation of track parameters beyond permissible limits was responsible for 149 cases of derailment while overspeeding led to 144 cases of derailment.
Officials/personnel not given proper training
The committee noted that 794 officials dealing with track maintenance activities were not given training at various levels. While some of them were not given the induction-level training, others were not given training for the refresher course.
There were also shortfalls in conducting training for personnel working at supervisory level (SSE/JEIP).
The shortfall in imparting training at multiple levels were attributed by the Railway Ministry to Covid-19 situation, inability to spare staff due to pressing assignments, non-receipt of training schedule in the units and non-updating of information of employees in Track Management System (TMS).
The PAC has recommended imparting simulator-based training to improve driving skills and reaction time of loco pilots and regular counselling of running staff.
Lack of staff for track maintenance
The report also noted that the Railways lacked adequate number of staff needed for track maintenance. Despite the fact that three Zonal Railways - North Central, North Frontier and West Central - having large number of vacancies (more than seven per cent posts are vacant), “no serious efforts seem to have been made for filling up the vacant posts nor outsourcing was done in any of these zonal railways”, it said.
The total Non-Gazetted Group ‘C’ (including level 1) vacancies in the Civil Engineering Department of the Indian Railways as on July 1, 2023, was 68,619, the report said and recommended immediate recruitment of sufficient permanent staff to ensure regular and reliable supply of workforce .
The report urged the Railway Ministry to make sure that punitive actions are initiated against those found responsible for any negligence or breaking established rules resulting into derailments.
Third railway mishap this year
Sunday’s accident was the third railway mishap this year that involved fatalities. In January, 12 people were killed and 15 were injured when some of the passengers of Pushpak Express disembarked onto an adjacent railway line following a false fire alarm and were hit by a speeding Karnataka Express coming from the other direction.
At least 18 people were killed and several injured in a stampede at the New Delhi railway station on February 15 when confusing announcements resulted in a rush to board a train for Prayagraj to attend the Kumbh Mela.
The mishap took place on a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was visiting Chhattishgarh where his programmes included flagging off a MEMU train on the Abhanpur-Raipur section and dedication of the full electrification of the railways in the state.
Two high-profile railway projects — the bridge connecting Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu with the mainland and the Katra to Srinagar railway connectivity — are lined up for inauguration by Modi on April 6 and April 19, respectively. Railway mishaps at this juncture may cast a shadow on these achievements.
