SATISH HANDA

In-spite of limited traffic on rail tracks in past few months when there was no movement of passenger and express trains during lock down declared by the government due to COVID-19, as many as 182 rail mishaps were reported with effect from April till December 2020 recoding maximum number of derailment cases in railway yards in Northern Railway, which is a matter of concern for senior railway bureaucrats claiming reformed in rail accidents.. In most of the cases lack of care was found prime reason for such mishaps and in most of such cases trains drivers were found crossed red signal. Railways Headquarter has directed senior railway officers to monitor the same seriously enabling not to repeat such carelessness.

According to records available with railways, 182 rail mishaps were reported with effect from April till December 2020 as compared to 83 mishaps in previous year 2019-20 in the division, which included 55 derailment cases due to neglect and failure of instruments and 23 cases identified due to crossing danger signals. Information further revealed that during the year 2020-21 accidents due to crossing danger signal has witnessed drop to 104 cases as compared to previous year 2019-20 when 211 such accident cases were held. Similarly, accidents due to crossing danger signal dropped to 21 cases in 2020-21 as compared to 51 cases registered in the previous year 2019-20. Information also reveals that the number of rail mishaps was much higher in goods train as compared to passenger and express trains.