Railway convention raises alarm over rising accidents, urges govt action
Hubballi: Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) president K Hemalatha said despite the alarming rate of accidents and the huge loss of lives, the Union govt is not showing any concern for protecting the lives of the people and staff who are crucial to the operation of the trains.
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Speaking at a state-level convention on 'Safety in Railways', organised by the CITU, here on Sunday, Hemalatha stated that the BJP-led NDA govt failed to take effective measures to prevent train accidents. "Instead, govt is blaming the railway employees for these accidents and taking punitive action against them," she added.
The number of train accidents, which was 21 in 2020-21, increased to 34 in 2021-22, 48 in 2022-23, and 81 in 2024-25. The Railway Minister informed Parliament in 2022 that 469 passengers were killed and 1,275 injured in train accidents during 2014-19. "The trains running in suburban areas are experiencing accidents too. Hundreds of track maintainers died. More than 450 trackmen died in
.
Rail travel, an affordable mode of travel used by more than 2 crore people every day, must be made safe," Hemalatha demanded.
S Varalakshmi, Karnataka President, CITU, said to oppose the privatisation of railways and address the safety concerns of passengers and employees, the organisation is creating awareness. "Govt is casting a negative shadow on employment. Contract employment is increasing, and due to this, accidents are increasing.
The employees are working overtime, which is leading to accidents. Every passenger should travel safely, and govt should provide this," she urged.
General secretary Meenakshi Sundaram demanded that the Union govt should ensure the safety of railway passengers and provide safe working conditions for railway employees. "Govt should stop the privatisation of
in any form and improve facilities for passengers on trains, with senior citizens receiving concessions like women and other demands," she said.
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"In Karnataka, eleven station division-level conferences should be completed by the end of July-August 2025. The union should conduct publicity at railway stations in a way that reaches train passengers in the districts and launch a public signature campaign for a petition to be submitted to the Prime Minister after the conference. In Oct, a protest will be organised at railway stations," she said.
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