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Notice (8): Undefined variable: urlPrefix [APP/Template/Layout/printlayout.ctp, line 8]latest-news-updates/who-is-to-blame-for-increasing-derailments-dipti-jain-4682799.html"/> LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Who is to blame for increasing derailments? -Dipti Jain | Im4change.org
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Who is to blame for increasing derailments? -Dipti Jain

-Livemint.com

44% of derailments between 2012-13 and 2016-17 were due to failure of tracks, fittings

There have been nine incidents of train derailments in the past one month. The spate of accidents has increased anxiety among passengers and also generated a lot of political heat. What are the concrete facts though? Have train derailments been increasing? What is causing these accidents? Is it sabotage, human error or dilapidated infrastructure?

A NITI Aayog discussion note written by Bibek Debroy and Kishore Desai gives a useful summary of rail-accident statistics in the last four years to answer some of these questions.

Government data on rail accidents from 2012-13 to 2016-17 presents an intriguing picture. The total number of consequential rail accidents was the lowest in 2016-17. However, deaths per accident were the highest in the same year. The number of derailments has increased every year during this period. More people died in derailment accidents in 2016-17 than the total between 2012-13 and 2015-16.

What is the cause of these accidents? Indian Railways is a mammoth organization. Running trains involves coordination and responsibility at multiple levels. Responsibility is fixed for specific departments when an accident happens. According to Railway Board statistics, Engineering (Civil) Directorate had the highest share of responsibility for accidents between 2012-13 and 2016-17. What is alarming is, this share has been increasing continuously from 2012-13.

Please click here to read more and access the charts.