Gandhi alleged the increase in railway accidents in the last 10 years is a "direct result of the mismanagement and negligence of the Modi government, which has resulted in loss of lives and property of passengers on a daily basis".
The Railway Board has reduced the speed of semi-high speed trains Gatimaan Express and Vande Bharat from 160 kmph to 130 kmph till the automatic train protection system gets operational.
The Royal Challenger's Bengaluru parade in celebration of the team's maiden Indian Premiere League win in 18 years turned into tragedy as at least 11 fans died and several were injured in a stampede near the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday.
Three railway accidents in four days claimed over 100 lives and left as many as 400 injured. According to the latest official figures, between April 2010 and January 2011, over 300 people were killed and 437 were left injured in railway related mishaps. In all, this year alone has seen six major railway accidents. Sahim Salim wonders why.
Three railway accidents in four days claimed over 100 lives and left as many as 400 injured. According to the latest official figures, between April 2010 and January 2011, over 300 people were killed and 437 were left injured in railway related mishaps. In all, this year alone has seen six major railway accidents. Sahim Salim wonders why.
Kavach 3.2 version is being installed on approved high-density routes, the railway officials said, adding that upgrading and installation of the latest version on new routes will go on simultaneously to cover a wider railway network in a shorter period.
In 2021, the Railways boasted of a historic feat -- no passenger deaths in train accidents in two years. However, the derailment of the Bikaner-Guwahati Express in 2022 brought the Railways back to its forgetful past.
Opposition parties in India have demanded the resignation of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw after a stampede at New Delhi railway station killed 18 people. They blamed the government for "gross mismanagement" and accused them of "covering up" the death toll. The stampede occurred on Saturday night as passengers rushed to board trains for the Maha Kumbh festival in Prayagraj. The Congress, the Left, Trinamool Congress, and the Rashtriya Janata Dal have all criticized the government's handling of the situation, while BJP leaders have defended the government. The incident has highlighted the failure of the Railways and the government to make adequate arrangements for the large number of devotees travelling to Prayagraj.
A lack of coordination between two rail employees during a shunting operation led to one of them getting stuck in the buffers of the engine and a power car, causing his death in the Barauni Junction of Bihar on Saturday, a preliminary inquiry has found.
The cancelled trains include Sealdah-Puri Duronto, Howrah-Chennai Mail, Kanyakumari-Howrah Express, Shalimar Express, Tirupati Weekly Superfast Express, SMVT-Bengaluru Superfast Express, Santraganchi AC Superfast, Purulia-Villupuram.
As many as 293 people were killed and over 1,200 injured in the triple train collision near Bahanaga Bazar railway station in Balasore district on June 2.
Vaishnaw on Saturday said he had ordered a high-level probe into the derailment on Friday night.
The newly inaugurated Pamban Bridge in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu, is designed to withstand cyclones of greater intensity than the 1964 disaster that significantly damaged the old bridge. The new bridge features a vertical lift spanner and is built to withstand wind speeds of 230 kmph and considerable seismic loading, according to a senior official from the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL). The bridge's construction incorporated several safety protocols, including a seated lift spanner and girders positioned well above sea level, ensuring minimal risk from high tides and cyclones.
Two coaches of the Visakhapatnam-Palasa Passenger train from the rear and the loco of Visakhapatnam-Rayagada Passenger were derailed as a result of the accident, the railway official said, adding that rescue operations are underway.
Signed by seven experts, the preliminary report said they carefully examined the accident site, available evidence, statements of officials concerned, data logger report and the speedometer chart.
Three rear compartments of the Kanchanjunga Express derailed under the impact of the collision by the locomotive of the goods train from behind, the police officer said.
The incident occurred at the Santhaldih railway crossing, near the Bhojudih railway station, and the tractor got stuck between the railway track and the gate.
The conveyor belt at the partially collapsed SLBC tunnel in Telangana has been repaired and made operational, making it easier for rescue personnel to shift muck and debris. The belt was damaged following an accident on February 22. Rescue efforts continue on the 11th day of the accident, with a team from South Central Railway cutting the platform of the damaged Tunnel Boring Machine inside the tunnel. The government is exploring the option of deploying robots in the rescue operation to prevent any threat to the rescue personnel.
The Udaipur-Jaipur Vande Bharat Express train narrowly escaped a major accident on Monday morning due to timely intervention by an alert driver who stopped the train at Gangarar-Soniyana section after noticing some ballast placed on the track, officials said.
At least four out of the 13 persons killed in the Jalgaon train accident have been identified as hailing from Nepal, authorities said on Thursday.
Another woman from Malda district said that her son was killed in the accident.
In a letter to general managers of all zones, the Railway Board has directed that a safety drive should be launched immediately with special focus on all 'goomties' (rooms along tracks) housing signalling equipment within station limits.
A 10-member Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team on Monday visited the Balasore train accident site and began its probe into the triple train crash, a Railway official said.
Three people were killed and 17 others injured when a BEST bus crashed into pedestrians and vehicles in Mumbai on Monday night. The accident is suspected to have been caused by brake failure. The bus, on route number 332, was travelling from Kurla railway station to Andheri when the driver lost control and the vehicle rammed into pedestrians and vehicles before crashing into the gates of a residential society. The injured were taken to Bhabha Hospital.
They said at least four such cases are being looked into by the anti-terror agency officials.
The probe report has estimated the cost of damage due to the accident at more than Rs 52 crore.
Search and rescue operations after two passenger trains collided 40 km from Vizianagaram.
Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Jaya Varma Sinha, member of operation and business development, Railway Board said, "According to the preliminary findings, there has been some issue with the signalling. We are still waiting for the detailed report from the Commissioner of Railway Safety. Only Coromandel Express met with an accident. The train was at a speed of around 128 km/h."
Passengers of the Darbhanga Bagmati express that met with an accident at Kavaraipettai near Chennai on Friday night have left for Dharbanga by a special train on Saturday, the southern railway said.
Much more needs to be done, the minister told the Lok Sabha.
There were multiple claimants for 15 bodies and the DNA reports were received from the central laboratory in Delhi after about 20 days, officials said.
Railways shunted out 5 top officials who are responsible for operations, signalling and safety.
The railways initially called a team from the Unique Identification Authority of India to the site to take thumbprints of the dead to ascertain their identity.
At least 12 passengers were killed when they jumped from the Lucknow-Mumbai Pushpak Express in panic after sparks flew from the wheels when brakes were applied near Pachora in Jalgaon district. The passengers who jumped on the tracks were run over by a fast train. The incident occurred after the train passed the Jalgaon station and was nearing Pachora in the afternoon. Passengers saw sparks flying from the wheels of the train when brakes were applied, prompting some to pull the emergency chain and jump down. Some passengers were run over by the Karnataka Express, which was passing at the time. The preliminary information suggests sparks and smoke inside one of the general coaches of Pushpak Express due to either `hot axle' or `brake-binding' (jamming).
The railway minister said this a day after the derailment of the Howrah-Guwahati Kamrup Express.
While there has been no official confirmation, some sources said the CRS informed in its report that the accident occurred due to human error on the part of on-duty officials in the Signalling and Telecom Department as well as the Traffic Department.
They described the functioning of the interlocking system which prima facie seemed to have been part of the problem which led to the accident, in which at least 275 people were killed.
The railways has initiated a high-level probe into the train crash in Odisha to be headed by the commissioner of railway safety, South Eastern Circle.
Seven of the 13 people who died in a train accident in Maharashtra's Jalgaon district were from Nepal. The accident occurred when passengers on the Mumbai-bound Pushpak Express got off the train after an alarm chain-pulling incident and were run over by the Karnataka Express on the adjacent tracks. A fire rumour spread in the train, prompting passengers to jump off. The incident highlighted the dangers of chain-pulling and the need for better safety measures on Indian Railways.
"The team of senior officials have found that the mechanical parts of the interlocking system were opened. Normally, these parts get broken after an accident due to the heavy impact of the locomotive and coaches," a source, close to the inspection team, said.
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