'Still in Progress': Odisha Train Crash Puts Spotlight on Status of Decade-old Safety Review on Railways

The Odisha triple train crash on Friday evening is the first such pile-up on Indian tracks and the second worst rail accident in terms of casualty figures in over two decades – 288 and counting with over 800 injured. 28 parliamentary standing committee reports on railways since 1993 Since 1993 to date, the parliament’s standing committee has presented 28 reports on the railways with an elaborate report by a “high-level safety review committee” under Dr Anil Kakodkar, which was presented to the ministry of railways in February 2012. The latest standing committee report from 2022-23, also accessed by News18, noted that the Indian Railways had developed an indigenous automatic train protection and warning system for increased train safety. Another report on anti-collision device, accessed by News18, stated: “In 1999, after the Gaisal incident, based on ‘radio communication’, ‘microprocessors’ and ‘global positioning system ’ technology, a team of Konkan Railway in 90 days produced a prototype of anti-collision device which, when mounted on two approaching trains, would enable them to assess accurately each other’s course and initiate an ‘automatic’ braking action, in case they were perceived to be at collision risk. Over the years, there have been so many new tech additions to the system.” Another senior railway official said, “Over the past two decades, India witnessed scores of rail accidents killing hundreds; however, only in two cases – Jnaneswari and Pukhrayan train derailment, the casualty figures crossed 150.”