Ashwini Vaishnaw defends BJP govt’s Railways safety record
NEW DELHI: Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday came up with a strong rebuttal of the Opposition’s criticism in the Lok Sabha regarding recent train derailments and traffic incidents that have afflicted the railways.
A visibly charged Ashwini Vaishnaw was angry over the Opposition’s jibe of “Reel Minister’’ and strongly argued that safety measures had been neglected during the Congress regime and said the Opposition always wanted to politicise the issue.
Vaishnaw criticised the previous administrations for their failure to implement Automatic Train Protection (ATP) systems, stating, “Those who are shouting here must be asked in their 58 years of being in power why they were not able to install Automatic Train Protection (ATP), even 1 km. Today, they dare to raise the questions.”
Vaishnaw highlighted the significant strides made under the current administration in modernising the Indian Railways. He emphasised the elimination of unmanned railway crossings, the installation of electronic interlocking systems at stations, and the extensive rollout of the KAVACH ATP system, which began in 2014 and has achieved
significant milestones, including SIL-4 certification in 2019 and a 3,000 km project initiation in 2022.
Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi highlighted recent derailments and fatalities, including the Kanchenjunga Express crash, and criticized Vaishnaw for not taking moral responsibility and resigning. Gogoi stated, “He is not a railway minister; he is a derailment minister. He should resign.” Gogoi’s remarks were followed by a walkout from the leaders of the INDIA alliance parties in protest of the government’s response.
The minister informed the Parliament of the comprehensive policy outline of Indian Railways, outlining the Indian Railways’ achievements and plans, emphasising alignment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision. He categorised his address into three major areas: general policy, regional issues, and railway alignment with PM Modi’s vision.
Vaishnaw highlighted efforts to make railway services more affordable for the middle class and aspirational middle class. He noted the substantial increase in general coaches (including sleeper and non-AC coaches), with a current ratio of almost 2:1 compared to AC coaches. To meet travel demand, approximately 2,500 additional general coaches will be produced in the upcoming months, with nearly 10,000 more planned for the foreseeable future. On safety measures, he emphasised the significant reduction in rail fractures, from around 2,500 in 2013–14 to 324 in 2024, an 85 per cent reduction. Over the last decade, 26,52,000 ultrasonic flaw detection tests have been conducted, contributing to improved track safety.
Vaishnaw spoke about the “Amrit Bharat” initiative, which includes the production of an additional 50 Amrit Bharat trains with 13 new improvements.
The indigenously developed Vande Bharat trains and the introduction of Vande Metro and Vande Sleeper trains aim to enhance passenger services across the country. He also highlighted the significant increase in railway recruitment, with numbers rising from 411,000 between 2004 and 2014 to 502,000 from 2014 to 24.
