New Delhi: After the horrific train accident in New Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, Congress and other opposition parties are attacking the Modi government. The opposition is constantly attacking PM Modi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav on this issue. Congress says that the Modi government has completely ruined the railways. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has demanded the resignation of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav. The Congress President asked, 'Narendra Modi ji, tell us who should be held accountable, the Railway Minister or you?' Overall, this issue has become political for the Congress and the Congress is batting openly on it. What do the figures say amid political allegations and counter-allegations. During the UPA government from 2004 to 2014, 171 rail accidents occurred every year, while during the Modi government from 2014-2024, 68 rail accidents occurred every year. India is the fourth largest railway system in the world after America, Russia and China. In the last few years, Indian Railways has taken several steps to develop railway infrastructure, modernize the system and improve operational efficiency and safety. According to government data, the number of serious rail accidents was 473 in the year 2000-01, which decreased year after year. This number has come down to 40 in the year 2023-24. This means that the number of rail accidents has decreased significantly.
Railway accidents: UPA (2004-14) vs Modi government (2014-24)
- Expenditure on security related works has increased by more than two and a half times. It was Rs 70,273 crore in 2004-14, which has increased to Rs 1.78 lakh crore in 2014-24.
- The expenditure on maintenance of railway tracks has also increased by 2.33 times. It was Rs 47,018 crore in 2004-14, which has increased to Rs 1,09,659 crore in 2014-24.
- Welding defects in railway tracks have reduced by 87%. These were 3,699 in 2013-14, which will come down to 481 in 2023-24.
- The number of rail breakdowns has also decreased by 85%. It was 2,548 in 2013-14, which has come down to 383 in 2023-24.
- The number of road overbridges constructed has increased by 2.9 times. Their number was 4,148 during 2004-14, which increased to 11,945 in 2014-24.
- Expenditure on maintenance of bridges has doubled. It was Rs 3,919 crore during 2004-14, which has increased to Rs 8,008 crore in 2014-24.
- The number of stations with electronic interlocking systems has increased by 3.5 times. Their number was 837 during 2004-14, which has increased to 2,964 in 2014-24.
- The production of LHB coaches has increased by 15.8 times. Their number was 2,337 during 2004-14, which has increased to 36,933 in 2014-24.
Major reforms in railways under Modi government
The National Rail Safety Fund (RRSK) was launched in 2017-18 with a budget of Rs 1 lakh crore. This fund is used to repair, innovate and improve things necessary for the safety of railways. This fund was for five years. A total of Rs 1.08 lakh crore was spent on the works of RRSK from 2017-18 to 2021-22. In 2022-23, the government has extended the RRSK for another five years. Rs 45,000 crore will be provided from the government budget for this extended period. The Kavach system has been adopted as the national Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system for the safety of trains. This system helps the loco pilot. If he forgets to apply the brake, then this system can apply the brake automatically. This ensures safe operation of trains even in bad weather
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Special attention to safety
Electronic interlocking (EI) systems have been installed at 6,586 stations by 31 May 2024. Automatic block signaling (ABS) has been implemented on 4,111 railway kilometers of track on high-density routes by 31 October 2023. Security of 11,137 level crossings has been increased by connecting them with signals by 31 October 2023. Unmanned level crossings have been removed on all broad gauge routes by January 2019. Vigilance control devices (VCDs) have now been installed on all locomotives to maintain the alertness of loco pilots. Also, drivers have been given GPS-based fog protection devices (FSDs) in foggy areas.
