The tragic train accident involving the Kanchanjunga Express in West Bengal, which resulted in 10 deaths and numerous injuries, has intensified the ongoing political debate regarding the management of the Indian Railways under the current NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi compared to the previous UPA government under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The opposition has called for the resignation of Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in response to the incident.
To assess the performance of the railways under these two administrations, government data provides a detailed comparison.Â
**Railway Accidents:**
- **UPA (2004-2014):** A total of 1,711 railway accidents occurred during this period.
- **NDA (2014-2023):** There were 638 railway accidents, showing a significant reduction in mishaps.
**Casualties and Injuries:**
- **UPA:** 2,453 fatalities and 4,486 injuries were recorded in train accidents.
- **NDA:** The number of deaths was 781, and injuries stood at 1,543.
**Train Derailments:**
- **UPA:** 867 derailment cases were reported.
- **NDA:** There were 426 derailments, reflecting a marked decrease.
**Annual Averages:**
- **UPA:** The average number of derailments per year was 86.7.
- **NDA:** This average dropped to 47.3 per year.
**Consequential Train Accidents:**
- **UPA:** On average, there were 171 consequential accidents per year.
- **NDA:** The average fell to 71 per year. The number of consequential train derailments also dropped sharply from 350 in 2000-01 to 36 in 2022-23.
**Accidents Per Million Train Kilometers:**
- **UPA:** The rate decreased from 0.29 in 2004-05 to 0.10 in 2013-14.
- **NDA:** The rate further declined from 0.11 in 2014-15 to 0.037 in March 2023.
**Budget Allocation for Track Renewal and Safety:**
- **UPA:** Between FY05 and FY14, the average annual expenditure for track renewal was Rs 4,702 crore.
- **NDA:** From FY15 to FY23, this expenditure rose to Rs 10,201 crore annually.
- Over the past nine years, Indian Railways allocated Rs 1,78,012 crore towards rail safety, including the budget estimate for FY24, with an average annual expenditure of Rs 17,801 crore, which is 2.5 times higher than before 2014.
The data suggests that the NDA government has made significant strides in improving railway safety, as evidenced by the reduction in the number of accidents, fatalities, and derailments. Additionally, increased budget allocations for track renewal and rail safety under the NDA regime have been notable factors in this improvement.
Despite these advancements, the recent train accident has highlighted the ongoing challenges and the necessity for continuous vigilance and improvements in the management of the Indian Railways to prevent such tragedies.
