The three coaches of the Secunderabad-Shalimar Superfast Express have derailed near Howrah in West Bengal today. It has derailed at approximately 5:31 AM at Nalpur Station which is about 40 kilometers from Kolkata. There is no report of any casualty and injured till now.
Incident Details
- Type of Train: Secunderabad-Shalimar Weekly Express (Train No. 22850)
- Location: Nalpur station, Kharagpur Division
- Time of Incident: 5:31 AM
- Affected Coaches: A parcel van and two coaches derailed while transitioning from middle to outer tracks.
Following the derailment, relief trains and medical assistance were dispatched from Santragachhi and Kharagpur to the scene. Additionally, buses have been arranged to transport stranded passengers to their intended destinations.
Mounting Concerns over Indian Train Safety
The derailment of a recently derailed train has raised significant questions in India on the issue of rail safety as the number of train accidents seems to be increasing day by day. With the kind of incidents reported this year, ranging from sabotage to derail train accidents, whether the safety measures implemented by the Ministry of Railways have been effective is being questioned.
However, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is held responsible for doing very little about such occurrences. The opposition leaders have also referred to him as the "Reel Minister", that is, more interested in publicity than the main issues of safety and their improvement in the railway system.
Possible Impact in the Future
As of now, in 2024, the questions still surround the same issues: how many train accidents will it take before proper changes are brought about? The Indian government has been announcing initiatives that involve the Kavach system, an automatic train protection technology that tries to improve safety standards. Full implementation into the railway network however, has no timeline. Critics say that without something being done right now and also effectively, the occurrence of train accidents will simply increase.
Inputs by Agencies
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