38 dead as Janta Express train derails in Rae Bareli

FY15 has highest number of mishaps in 4 years

Indian Railways' safety record touched a new low with the current financial year witnessing as many as 80 train accidents with 123 lives lost - the highest in the past four years.

In the latest tragedy, 38 persons were killed and more than 150 injured after the Dehradun-Varanasi Janta Express derailed 30 km from Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh at 9:10 am on Friday, the rail ministry said.

Ambulances carrying doctors were rushed to the accident site from King George Medical College and the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow. Gas cutters were arranged to cut open the crushed compartments to pull out trapped passengers. Around 100 beds were reserved in Lucknow hospitals to cater to the injured.

"While this train was entering Bachhrawan station, the loco pilot overshot the signal and entered a sand hump, causing derailment of the train engine and two coaches. The injured passengers have been admitted to nearby hospitals," the ministry stated.

The ministry said Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, who is attending to his parliamentary duties, is monitoring the situation and has directed Railway Board Chairman A K Mittal, Member Traffic Ajay Shukla and the general manager of Northern Railway to rush to the site.

The ministry has ordered an enquiry under the Commissioner of Railway Safety and announced Rs 2 lakh to the kin of the dead, Rs 50,000 each to grievously injured passengers and Rs 20,000 to those who sustained simple injuries in the accident.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has announced Rs 2 lakh to the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured.

The accident follows another mishap in February when 10 passengers had died and 60 injured after nine coaches of the Bangalore-Ernakulam Intercity Express derailed near the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border. In October 2014, two speeding passenger trains had collided near Gorakhpur in UP, leaving 12 dead.

According to the ministry, 57 of the 80 train accidents in the current financial year (up to February) occurred due to "failure of railway staff", while eight were the result of failure of "other than railway staff" and another eight were "incidental".

The word "safety" figured 12 times in Prabhu's railway budget speech last month. The rail budget talked about an action plan for areas where accident occur, a five-year corporate safety plan by June 2015, examination of pending recommendations by the Anil Kakodkar committee on safety by April, developing a warning system for road users at unmanned railway level crossings (UMLCs), elimination of UMLCs, and development of a Train Protection and Warning System.

The ministry wants to spend Rs 8.5 lakh crore over the next five years on key priority areas. This includes Rs 1.27 lakh crore under the 'safety' head for track renewals, construction of road over-bridges and under-bridges, signalling and telecom-related projects.