Data on mishaps suggest railways’ track record has actually improved

The National Crime Records Bureau brings out an annual publication, Crime in India. Therefore, the sole source for data on railway accidents is now Indian Railways, such as Indian Railways, Year Book. “There were 103 consequential train accidents in 2016-17 as compared to 106 accidents during 2015-16.” This does not include Konkan Railway. For purposes of reporting and analysis, IR actually classifies accidents under several heads — from A to R. For instance, A1 and A3 will be collisions of trains carrying passengers; A2 or A4 collisions of trains not carrying passengers; B represents fire or explosion in trains; C, trains running into road traffic and/or road traffic running into trains at level crossings; D, derailments; E, other train accidents; F, averted collisions; G, breach of block rules; H, a train passing a signal at danger; J, equipment failures; K, failure of permanent way; L, failure of electrical equipment; M, failure of signalling and telecommunication; N, unusual incidents; P, casualties; Q, other incidents; and R, miscellaneous. There are some exclusion clauses that must be noted too: “ cases of trespassers run over and injured or killed through their own carelessness or of passengers injured or killed through their own carelessness; and cases involving persons being Railways servant or holding valid passes/tickets or otherwise who are killed or grievously injured while travelling outside the rolling stock of a passenger train such as on foot board, roof or buffer but excluding the inside of vestibules between coaches or run over at a level crossing or elsewhere on the railway track by a train; and level crossing accident where no passenger or railway employee is killed or grievously hurt unless the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety or Commissioner of Railway Safety is of the opinion that the accident requires the holding of an inquiry by the Commissioner of Railway Safety.” The exclusion clause makes it clear that a serious accident only includes instances where there is IR culpability.