Singh seeks railway safety plan amid increasing train accidents

Worried over the increasing number of train accidents, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has sought a detailed safety plan from the Ministry of Railways, Press Trust of India (PTI) reports Friday. The Prime Minister has asked for the report, which will be submitted to the PM's office, after the derailment of the Howrah-Kalka Mail on July 10 in which 69 passengers were killed and around 240 others were injured. The major train mishap occurred three days after 32 people were killed when the Mathura-Chapra Express rammed into a bus on an unmanned level crossing on July 7. A source from Ministry of Railways said the safety plan gives details of measures needed to prevent accidents, such as installation of anti-collision device and train protection warning system, elimination of unmanned level crossings, mechanised maintenance of tracks, upgradation of signal and telecommunication, induction of crash-worthy LHB coaches and upgradation of locomotives. Since the safety related works is estimated to cost about Rs 700 billion, the Railways is looking for a generous grant from the exchequer outside the rail budget, the source added. There is growing concern about the maintenance of railways' vast tracks and the slow pace of installation of anti-collision devices and train protection warning systems.