Railway Unions Condemn Hasty Driver Blame in West Bengal Train Tragedy

Railway employee unions criticize the ministry for prematurely blaming the late goods train driver for the West Bengal train tragedy, which resulted in ten deaths and forty injuries. They argue that systemic issues within the Railways are responsible and urge for a comprehensive investigation before assigning blame.

Railway employee unions have raised strong objections to the Railway Ministry's initial response to the West Bengal train tragedy, in which the driver of the goods train that collided with the Kanchanjunga Express was blamed. The accident near New Jalpaiguri on Monday claimed ten lives, including the driver, and injured forty others.

The unions argue that blaming the deceased driver makes him a scapegoat for the systemic issues within the Railways. 'It was highly insensitive on the part of the Railway Board to say that the driver overshot the red signal which caused the accident,' stated Shiva Gopal Mishra, general secretary of the All India Railway Men's Federation (AIRF), adding that the probe should conclude before any blame is assigned.

Meanwhile, the Railway Board admitted to a signal failure and acknowledged that the station master had given the goods train driver written authority to cross all red signals, which highlights a litany of shortcomings. Local union leaders are also calling attention to broader issues, including understaffed positions and poor working conditions for loco pilots, contributing to such incidents.

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