Lok Sabha Question No. 2190 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-15
Subject: Rail Accident’s
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: RAMA KISHORE SINGH, K. C. VENUGOPAL, MOHAMMAD SALIM, PRATIMA MONDAL, LAXMAN GILUWA, GANESH SINGH, MD. BADARIDDOZA KHAN, HARISH DWIVEDI, BAHADUR SINGH KOLI, RANJANBEN BHATT, SUSHIL KUMAR SINGH, KOTHA PRABHAKAR REDDY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2190 TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.03.2017

## RAIL ACCIDENTS

## +2190. SHRI  RAMA KISHORE SINGH:

SHRI K.C. VENUGOPAL:

SHRI MOHD. SALIM:

SHRIMATI PRATIMA MONDAL:

SHRI LAXMAN GILUWA:

SHRI GANESH SINGH:

SHRI MD. BADARUDDOZA KHAN:

SHRI HARISH CHANDRA ALIAS HARISH DWIVEDI:

SHRI BAHADUR SINGH KOLI:

SHRIMATI RANJANBEN BHATT:

SHRI SUSHIL KUMAR SINGH:

SHRI PRABHAKAR REDDY KOTHA:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether    there  has  been  an  increase    in  the  number  of railway  accidents  in  the  country  particularly  in  the  East Central railway zone and the Eastern Railways during the last one year and the current year due to track malfunction;
- (b) if so, the total number of cases of railway accidents came to light in the country during the last three years and the current year, zone-wise along with details of the investigation  conducted/pending  by  the  Commissioner  of Railway  Safety    and  other  agencies  in  the  said  each accident;
- (c) whether the Government has identified any external/terrorist's  hand  in  the  recent  train  accidents  in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the current rules and provision to provide compensation to the victims of rail accidents; and
- (e) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  take  any  effective steps  against  those  officers/employees  who  have  been found guilty in the railway accidents that took place in the country  after  identifying  them  and  if  so,    the  details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

(SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)

(a)to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION  NO.  2190  BY  SHRI  RAMA  KISHORE  SINGH,  SHRI  K.  C. VENUGOPAL,  SHRI  MOHD.  SALIM,  SHRIMATI  PRATIMA  MONDAL,  SHRI LAXMAN GILUWA, SHRI GANESH SINGH, SHRI MD. BADARUDDOZA KHAN, SHRI HARISH CHANDRA ALIAS HARISH DWIVEDI, SHRI BAHADUR SINGH KOLI,  SHRIMATI  RANJANBEN  BHATT,  SHRI  SUSHIL  KUMAR  SINGH  AND SHRI PRABHAKAR REDDY KOTHA TO BE  ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 15.03.2017 REGARDING RAIL ACCIDENTS (a)  and  (b):  40  Consequential  train  accidents  have  occurred  over  East Central  Railway  and  Eastern  Railway  during    the  year  2015-16  and  the current year from 1 st  April 2016 to 28 th  February 2017.  Zone wise details of consequential train accidents over Indian Railways (IR) during the last 3

years and the current year from 01.04.2016 to 28.02.2017 are as under:-

| Consequential train accidents over I.R. during last 3 years and the current year 01/04/2016 to 28/02/2017 (Zone-wise).   | Consequential train accidents over I.R. during last 3 years and the current year 01/04/2016 to 28/02/2017 (Zone-wise).   | Consequential train accidents over I.R. during last 3 years and the current year 01/04/2016 to 28/02/2017 (Zone-wise).   | Consequential train accidents over I.R. during last 3 years and the current year 01/04/2016 to 28/02/2017 (Zone-wise).   | Consequential train accidents over I.R. during last 3 years and the current year 01/04/2016 to 28/02/2017 (Zone-wise).   | Consequential train accidents over I.R. during last 3 years and the current year 01/04/2016 to 28/02/2017 (Zone-wise).   |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Zonal Railway                                                                                                            | 2013-14                                                                                                                  | 2014-15                                                                                                                  | 2015-16                                                                                                                  | April to February                                                                                                        | April to February                                                                                                        |
| Zonal Railway                                                                                                            | 2013-14                                                                                                                  | 2014-15                                                                                                                  | 2015-16                                                                                                                  | 2015-16                                                                                                                  | 2016-17                                                                                                                  |
| Central Railway                                                                                                          | 8                                                                                                                        | 10                                                                                                                       | 7                                                                                                                        | 6                                                                                                                        | 7                                                                                                                        |
| East Coast Railway                                                                                                       | 7                                                                                                                        | 8                                                                                                                        | 2                                                                                                                        | 1                                                                                                                        | 7                                                                                                                        |
| East Central Railway                                                                                                     | 12                                                                                                                       | 19                                                                                                                       | 12                                                                                                                       | 11                                                                                                                       | 17                                                                                                                       |
| Eastern Railway                                                                                                          | 5                                                                                                                        | 4                                                                                                                        | 4                                                                                                                        | 4                                                                                                                        | 7                                                                                                                        |
| North Central Railway                                                                                                    | 4                                                                                                                        | 7                                                                                                                        | 4                                                                                                                        | 3                                                                                                                        | 6                                                                                                                        |
| North Eastern Railway                                                                                                    | 6                                                                                                                        | 14                                                                                                                       | 9                                                                                                                        | 9                                                                                                                        | 3                                                                                                                        |
| Northeast Frontier Railway                                                                                               | 6                                                                                                                        | 4                                                                                                                        | 4                                                                                                                        | 4                                                                                                                        | 7                                                                                                                        |
| Northern Railway                                                                                                         | 16                                                                                                                       | 20                                                                                                                       | 20                                                                                                                       | 20                                                                                                                       | 13                                                                                                                       |
| North Western Railway                                                                                                    | 14                                                                                                                       | 11                                                                                                                       | 11                                                                                                                       | 11                                                                                                                       | 4                                                                                                                        |
| South Central Railway                                                                                                    | 5                                                                                                                        | 4                                                                                                                        | 2                                                                                                                        | 1                                                                                                                        | 1                                                                                                                        |
| South East Central Railway                                                                                               | 7                                                                                                                        | 1                                                                                                                        | 3                                                                                                                        | 3                                                                                                                        | 5                                                                                                                        |
| South Eastern Railway                                                                                                    | 10                                                                                                                       | 6                                                                                                                        | 4                                                                                                                        | 3                                                                                                                        | 2                                                                                                                        |
| Southern Railway                                                                                                         | 4                                                                                                                        | 2                                                                                                                        | 6                                                                                                                        | 6                                                                                                                        | 8                                                                                                                        |

| South Western Railway      |   5 |   11 |   8 |   8 |   2 |
|----------------------------|-----|------|-----|-----|-----|
| West Central Railway       |   2 |    3 |   2 |   2 |   2 |
| Western Railway            |   6 |    7 |   8 |   7 |   7 |
| Konkan Railway Corporation |   1 |    4 |   1 |   1 |   1 |
| Metro Railway              |   0 |    0 |   0 |   0 |   0 |
| Total                      | 118 |  135 | 107 | 100 |  99 |

Number of consequential train accidents have decreased from 135 in the year 2014-15 to 107 in the year 2015-16.  In the current year from 1 st April,  2016  to  28th  February,  2017  also,  these  accidents  have  marginally reduced to 99  as compared to 100 train accidents in the corresponding period of  last   year.

On  East  Central  Railway  also,  consequential  train  accidents  have reduced to 12 in 2015-16 in comparison to 19 accidents in 2014-15.  On Eastern Railway, these accidents have remained at the same level to 4 in 2015-16 as compared to the same number of accidents in 2014-15.

However, in the current year, from  1 st   April  2016  to  28th  February 2017,  consequential  train  accidents  have  increased  from  11  to  17  over East Central Railway and from 4 to 7 over Eastern Railway as compared to last  year.    Out  of  these  24  train  accidents,  7  were  attributed  to  track defect.

Policing  on  Railways  being  a  State  subject,  prevention  of  crime, registration of cases, their investigation and maintenance of law and order in  Railway  premises  as  well  as  on  running  trains  are  the  statutory responsibility  of  the  State  Governments,  which  they  discharge  through Government  Railway  Police  (GRP).    However,  Railway  Protection  Force (RPF)  supplements  the  efforts  of  GRP  by  providing  better  protection  and security  of  passenger  area  and  passengers  and  for  matters  connected therewith.  05 accidents of suspected sabotage leading to train accidents i.e. one each in 2014, 2015 & 2017 (upto January) and two cases in 2016 have been registered by GRP/Police/National Investigation Agency.

Each  and  every  consequential  train  accident  on  Indian  Railways  is inquired  into  either  by  Commissioners  of  Railway  Safety  (CRS)  under the Ministry  of  Civil  Aviation  or  Departmental  Inquiry  Committee  of  the Railway. During the last three years i.e. 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16 and the current  year  up  to  28 th   February,  altogether  459  accidents  (including incidents at unmanned level crossings due to negligence of road vehicle users) occurred on Indian Railways. Out of the 459 accidents, 44 accidents have  been  inquired  by  the  Commissioner  of  Railway  Safety  and  balance have  been  inquired  into  by  the  Departmental  Inquiry  Committees  of  the Zonal Railways.

Based  on  the  findings  as  contained  in  accident  inquiry  reports (including prima-facie causes), 230 accidents were caused due to Failure of Railway Staff, 172 due to Failure of persons other than Railway staff, 10

due  to  failure  of  equipments,  9  due  to  Sabotage,  28  due  to  Incidental factors and 04 due to combination of factors.  Cause in respect of 03 train accidents  could  not  be  established  or  none  held  responsible.  Cause  in three accidents is under investigation.

(c): No, Madam. (d): Liability  of  Railways  to  pay  compensation  to  the  victims  of  train accident is specified in Section 124 of Railways Act, 1989.  Section 125 of the said act lays down procedure of filing claim application before Railway Claims  Tribunal  and  to  carry  out  the  purposes  of  the  above  mentioned sections.  Railway  Accidents  (Compensation)  Rules,  1990  was  framed  in 1990 and amendments in the principal rule have been made from time to time. (e)  Based  on  the  recommendations/findings  of  the  Commissioners  of Railway Safety/Departmental Inquiry Committees, the concerned departments of the Indian Railways take suitable action.   During 2013-14, 2014-15,  2015-16  and  current  year  (up  to  28 th   February,  2017),  Major penalties were imposed on 301 and Minor penalties were imposed on 234 erring officials. Out of these, 120 railway officials have been removed/dismissed from railway service during the mentioned period.

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