DNA Edit | Back on track? Will Piysh Goyal prove to be effective?

Sample this: Over the last 10 years more than 1,394 train accidents have been reported in India, and a whopping 51 per cent of them have taken place due to train derailments. In FY 17 alone, over 193 people died due to train derailments. Train derailments have sadly become the new normal with over half a dozen train derailments in quick succession in the last few weeks. Consequently, the government’s image has taken a beating. The loss is not simply of life and limb alone but also of government’s credibility.

On August 20, Utkal Express derailed leading to a loss of 24 lives. Just three days after that, Kaifiyat Express went off the tracks leaving over 100 injured; and just last week seven coaches of the Shaktikunj Express derailed with, thankfully, no injuries. In a pressure cooker situation, there was little that former Railway minister Suresh Prabhu could do except offer his resignation. While his resignation might not have been taken up, his stint in the Railway ministry was terminated by transferring him to Ministry of Commerce and Industry, a face-saving measure that extended to the minister a graceful exit.

Meanwhile, BJP’s miracle worker Piyush Goyal has been called in to script a turnaround for the Railway ministry just as he did with the power sector. The task that has been set before him is uphill and he faces many challenges. However, Goyal’s track record is promising enough for us to expect improvement in the state of the Railways, if not a complete metamorphosis. After taking over the Railway ministry, Goyal has got down to the brass tacks and his initiatives are headed in the right direction. He has asked the Railway board to replace old, worn-out rails at stretches that are prone to accidents and derailments and replace them with new ones. This is a damage control move, and one that must be carried out sooner rather than later.

Meanwhile, the government has done little to remedy the excessive plying of trains on busy routes. The latest data indicate that over 65 per cent of busy routes show signs of over-utilisation. Incredibly, on 32 per cent of the heavy use routes, over-utilisation is in the ballpark range of 120 per cent to 150 per cent. Ideally, utilisation should be in the range of 80 to 90 per cent. When tracks are abused to such a high degree, accidents are bound to occur. In the absence of funds, the attention of the Railways’ bureaucracy has been restricted to matters of daily upkeep and maintenance. Goyal has an unenviable job ahead of him. The question is: Will he be able to revive the spirits of a demoralised bureaucracy and enthuse accountability in the slovenly Railways?