Lok Sabha debate: Opposition MPs express concern over train accidents

Opposition MPs in Lok Sabha on Wednesday expressed concern over the "increase" in number of train accidents in the country, while those of the treasury benches lauded the government's efforts to expand the railway network.

Several members also put forth their demands for railway lines in their areas as the Lower House discussed the Demand for Grants for the railways ministry.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP from Aurangabad Abhay Kumar Sinha said the recent train accidents indicate there are many shortcomings in the functioning of the railways that need to be addressed.

"Since Independence, only 18 per cent of new railway tracks have been laid. Every year, 275 km expansion has happened, which is very little," he said.

 

"It should be increased, more railway tracks should be laid down, and old tracks should be repaired so that accidents can be stopped," he said.

Sinha also said during the tenure of Lalu Prasad as the railways minister, the Indian Railways was earning profits and "the whole world was talking about it".

"Today, the fares are increasing and the railway is still suffering. The government is trying to give the Indian Railways to private hands," he alleged.

He warned that privatisation of the railways would lead to a large-scale increase in unemployment.

Lok Sabha MP N K Premachandran also raised issues related to rail safety and said the budget allocation for this is insufficient.

Premchandran, a member of the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), said the safety of passengers should be a government priority.

TDP MP Krishna Prasad Tenneti, meanwhile, thanked the Centre for the package given to Andhra Pradesh and said it reaffirms that the BJP trusts the alliance.

"The allocation to Andhra Pradesh is a huge boost and a breath of life for the state. We have suffered for the last five years due to the previous state government," he said.

"I am confident that the Budget reaffirms their trust in our alliance," he said.

Congress MP from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, Harish Meena, was critical of the railway budget and accused the government of neglecting safety issues.

"No one is paying attention to rail accidents. This is a political budget, with no new trains or relief for my constituency.

"(Railway minister) Vaishnaw, in his position, should look at great leaders like Lal Bahadur Shastri who took responsibility and resigned. Who is accountable here? Is it Rajiv Pratap Rudy?" he asked.

BJP MP from Bihar's Saran, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, in a sharp retort, said, "You were the DGP in Rajasthan, so you are responsible for any accidents that happened there."

The Congress MP from South Goa, Captain Viriato Fernandes, criticised the fare hikes.

"The Railways has been a crucial part of our economy and essential for the common man to fulfil his dreams. However, with the fares going up, it is becoming out of reach for the poor," Fernandes remarked.

Samajwadi Party MP from Ballia Sanatan Pandey drew attention to the plight of workers from Purvanchal.

"While there are talks of high-speed trains like Vande Bharat, the trains in Ghazipur and Ballia are still running at 30 km/h. With so many accidents, people will stop travelling by train if this continues," Pandey warned.

On Tuesday, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar of TMC referred to the recent train accidents and said the Railways is now focussed more on "saving the chair" than saving lives.

Hitting out at the government, she said the spate of accidents was a result of negligence of the government.

NDA MPs praised the government's efforts in improving railway infrastructure.

Janata Dal (United) MP from Jhanjharpur, Ramprit Mandal, highlighted the expansion of rail tracks in Bihar.

"In the past 10 years, the rail tracks in Bihar have expanded threefold," Mandal noted.

BJP MP from Garhwal, Anil Baluni, termed the last decade as a "golden period" for the Indian Railways.

"This period has been unprecedented in the history of railways. Many areas that could only dream of trains now have railway access. The average speed of our trains is now 80 km/h and in the past year alone, 5,000 km of railway lines have been constructed," he said.

During the Question Hour in Lok Sabha, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw provided an update on India's ambitious bullet train project, which aims to develop high-speed rail with indigenous technology.

The project, currently under construction between Ahmedabad and Mumbai, is being implemented with support from Japan.

Vaishnaw emphasised the project's complexity and the progress made, including the construction of India's first undersea rail tunnel.

"Bullet train project is a very complex and technology-intensive project. Considering the highest level of safety and associated maintenance protocols, the bullet train project has been designed with the support of the Japanese railway. It is customised for Indian requirements and climatic conditions," he said.

He said that work in the Maharashtra portion had slowed down but it picked up after the BJP-Shiv Sena government came to power in 2022 and all relevant permissions have been received from the state government.

He assured the House that despite initial delays, work on the project is now proceeding rapidly, with significant milestones already achieved.

"Now, work is going on very speedily," he said.