'Human failure' chief reason for train accidents

New Delhi, May 31 (UNI) 'Human failure' continues to be the single largest cause of train accidents in the country, causing a staggering loss of Rs 173.80 crore, even as the Railways has claimed a significant drop in the number of mishaps which have come down from 473 in 2000-01 to 234 in 2004-05.

Human failure accounted for 84.18 per cent of train accidents during the year, says the Annual Report of the Commission of Railway Safety for the year 2004-05.

Of the 234 accidents, passenger trains accounted for as many as 154 mishaps, the report says.

During 2004-05, statutory inquiry was ordered into 19 train accidents. The figure included five accidents relating to collision between trains, five relating to derailments, five involving level crossings, two due to fire in the trains and two due to unusual occurrences.

Damage to Railway property from all these train accidents was pegged at Rs. 173.80 crore. During the same year, failure of driving crew accounted for 38.47 per cent of train collisions. There were 70 accidents at level crossings out of which 66 occurred mainly on account of negligence of road users.

During this period, the Commissioner inspected 360.283 km of new lines, 271.081 km of doublings, 810.270 km of gauge conversion works and 489.915 km of railway electrification works, for their suitability for carrying passengers and introducing electric traction.

These figures include the opening of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation lines also, the report said.

On an average, the Commission of Railway Safety inquired into 31 accidents every year during the past five years and there were 108 passenger fatalities every year in major train accidents. Passenger fatalities in the year 2004-05 were 55.

''These figures refer to fatalities among passengers travelling in the trains involved in accidents and exclude road users, trespassers and suicides,'' said the report.

The Commission has so far made 125 recommendations to the Railway Ministry to improve safety and avoid recurrence of such accidents in future.

UNI SKS SY DS1616