Railway Reforms Could Have Averted Chhattisgarh Tragedy: Experts

Experts suggest that implementing the rail reforms proposed by the 2011 High Power Committee could have prevented the Chhattisgarh train collision. The accident involved a local passenger train and a stationary goods train, resulting in 11 fatalities. Calls are rising for urgent safety automation and faster implementation of the Kavach system.

The tragic train collision in Chhattisgarh, which claimed 11 lives, has reignited calls for railway reforms first suggested by the 2011 High Power Committee. Experts insist that adopting a Train Protection Warning System (TPWS), such as the Kavach, could have prevented the disaster.

The accident on the Gevra Road-Bilaspur section involved a MEMU passenger train and a stationary goods train. Despite the installation of an automatic signaling system in 2020, the absence of additional safety aids like the TPWS has been criticized. Loco pilots face immense pressure due to closer signal spacing on busy routes.

Former Indian Railways Institute director Shailendra Kumar Goel stressed the urgent need for safety automation. As other experts highlighted the slow progress of Kavach implementation, calls for a nationwide safety overhaul grow louder, citing lessons from the auxiliary systems used in Mumbai.

(With inputs from agencies.)