Despite the public outcry to improve passengers’ safety and rail facilities for years, successive governments have failed to take any remedial steps. Repeated cases of derailment, deaths at tracks or while boarding trains, raise questions about the safety track record of the Indian Railways.
It has become customary for the government to offer compensation to the families of victims and order a high level probe.
This practice has, however not yielded any results. India cannot afford to make compromises on the safety of its rail passengers given the vast railway networks and the range of services it offers to its people.
It is high time that Railway Ministry order a safety audit of all tracks under expert supervision.
Passengers’ safety and infrastructure maintenance must be the top priority. Bullet trains and luxury trains can wait as lives of passengers are more precious and important.
