Preventing train accidents

The Train Drivers Welfare Association's countrywide strike causing suspension of passenger traffic for six to eight hours was called-off at the assurance of the railway authorities that their 'genuine' demands will be accepted. The association's two demands are upgradation of its members' pay scale and reinstatement of six drivers held responsible for accidents that claimed several lives. The second demand has been declared "highly unacceptable and illegitimate" by the then Minister of Railways, Khawaja Saad Rafique. These drivers, he said, were dismissed after a comprehensive inquiry, and that sheer negligence on their part left over 40 persons dead in various incidents. He may be right to blame the drivers in these particular cases, but considering the frequency with which trains have been involved in accidents suggests a lot more people are to blame for causing such an appalling and preventable loss of life than the drivers alone.
During the last five years, more than 100 people, including schoolchildren, in some cases entire families, have been killed and at least 160 others injured while trying to cross manned and unmanned level crossings. The standard practice for the ministry has been to immediately suspend the driver, and in the case of a manned crossing also the person in charge of closing the crossing gate. For their part, the drivers argue, not without reason, that they cannot bring a train to a sudden halt on spotting a dangerous situation. They surely are expected to slow down speed on approaching populated areas, but that alone won't stop accidents for the real problem lies somewhere else. In many instances, either the gatekeepers were found missing at the time of train arrival or did not have required information due to faulty signals or some other mix-up. The railways ministry needs to take a hard look at all aspects of the issue and prepare a comprehensive plan, laying down an SOP for drivers as well as for ensuring safety at level crossings.
It may be recalled that following several devastating accidents, the then minister had acknowledged that there are as many as 261 unmanned level crossings in various parts of the country, saying these could not be secured due to lack of funds. In other words, the issue cannot be expected to be addressed anytime soon. Lack of funds should not be an insurmountable hindrance if only all concerned decided to give the issue the priority it deserves. Extraordinary situations call for extraordinary responses. Railways being a federal subject, in addition to the annual budgetary allocations the federal government needs to make a special contribution to save lives. The provinces should pay part of the cost of safety measures within their respective areas of jurisdiction. Some other imaginative solutions are also in order, such as the one being tried in India. Like the taxi sharing apps, trains are equipped with satellite-based chip system that tracks train movements in real time warning road users of an approaching train by hooters at unmanned railway crossing. Such solutions require not a lot of money, only some good thinking.