New Delhi: The Opposition parties on Saturday slammed BJP-led Central government over derailment of Sabarmati Express near Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur area.
The Congress alleged that railway accidents have become common in the Modi government with 22 mishaps being reported in 70 days, claiming 21 lives and more than 100 injured.
On the recent derailment, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw tweeted that the engine of Sabarmati Express (Varanasi to Amdavad) hit an object placed on track and derailed near Kanpur. “Sharp hit marks are observed. Evidence is protected. IB and UP Police are also working on it. No injuries to passengers or staff. Train arranged for passengers for onward journey to Amdavad,” Vaishnaw posted.
In a subsequent post on X, Congress wrote, "70 days of Modi government. 22 railway accidents. 21 people died. More than 100 injured."
In another post, the party wrote, “Sabarmati train derailed in Kanpur, UP. 21 railway accidents have happened in 70 days of Modi government, but the government does not care.”
The Opposition claimed that in the recent months train derailments happened despite several crores been allocated for safety of the railways. In the Railway budget 2024-25, the government has allocated Rs 2,62,200 crore out of which, Rs 1,08,795 crore was allocated for safety related expenses, which is the priority of Indian Railways, as per railways information.
Sushmita Dev, Rajya Sabha MP and AITMC leader, posted on X, “Another day. Another rail accident. Let the godi media and their owners keep praising Modi. 21 coaches of Varanasi-Ahmedabad Express derailed near Kanpur. The hyperbole in Lok Sabha can’t cover up for such fatal failures.”
Last week Railway Minister Vaishnaw informed the Rajya Sabha that as a consequence of various safety measures taken over the years, there has been a steep decline in the number of accidents. Consequential Train Accidents have reduced from 473 in 2000-01 to 40 in 2023-24, he said. It may be noted that the consequential train accidents during the period 2004-14 was 1711 (average 171 per annum), which has declined to 678 during the period 2014-24 (average 68 per annum), the Railway Minister has further stated.
Another important improved safety in train operations is Accidents Per Million Train Kilometer (APMTKM), which has reduced from 0.65 in 2000-01 to 0.03 in 2023-24, indicating an improvement of more than 95 per cent during the said period, Vaishnaw added.
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'Engine Hit Object Placed On Track': 20 Coaches Of Sabarmati Express Derail Near Kanpur, No Injuries Reported
