Human errors caused 192 train accidents in India since 2017

Human error by the railway staff and general public reportedly caused over 192 train accidents in India between 2017 and 2022, data by the Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) revealed, per News18. The data also revealed that there were at least 256 train accidents between 2017 and 2022, of which nearly 75% of the mishaps were derailments.

Why does this story matter?

Railway officials recently attributed the triple train accident in Odisha's Balasore district, which killed nearly 280 people and injured over 1,000, to "human error." They also ruled out the possibility of sabotage and said an "unintentional mistake" could have been made due to "overburdened staff." Earlier, a preliminary investigation into the train accident blamed the signaling system for the accident.

Combined human error by staff and public nearly 75%: CRS 

According to the CRS data, between 2017 and 2022, the proportion of train accidents attributed to an error by railway staff ranged from 43% to 65%, with the highest in 2019-20 and the lowest in 2021-22. Furthermore, it suggested that the five-year average was around 55%. In sum, combined human error by staff and the public accounted for nearly 75% of the 256 accidents.

220 train derailments reported between 2017-2023: Report

According to the News18 report, which analyzed data from both the CRS and the Ministry of Railways, there were 292 railway accidents between 2017 and 23, with 220 of them being train derailments, accounting for more than 75% of all incidents. The report showed that derailments were followed by fire, which was the cause of 28 incidents.

COVID-19 pandemic impacted services, reduced accidents

Reportedly, train accidents are said to have decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there has been a surge in the last three years. Around 230 trains have been partially resumed since May 2020, although overall traffic remained low, resulting in fewer accidents. In 2021-22, train movements were again affected by the coronavirus, although railway services were not completely interrupted.

Know about casualties in rail accidents

In addition, the ministry disclosed that there were 35 train accidents in 2021-22, which grew to 48 in 2022-23. However, casualties have reduced dramatically from 17 in 2021-22 to eight in 2022-23. On June 2, however, a triple train collision in Odisha's Balasore killed over 280 people and wounded over 1,000 more. The accident was one of the deadliest railway accidents in two decades.