'We aren't those who make reels': Railway minister gets angry at oppn remark, addresses concerns over safety

Vaishnaw criticised the Opposition and past governments for not prioritizing railway safety and inefficiencies.

The demand for grants for the Ministry of Railways passed through the Lower House on August 1, following Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw's response to concerns raised by Opposition MPs in the Lok Sabha regarding the increasing number of train accidents in the country.

Vaishnaw criticised the Opposition and past governments for not prioritizing railway safety and inefficiencies.

He questioned the Opposition's inaction during their 58 years in power, specifically their inability to implement Automatic Train Protection (ATP) systems even over a single kilometre.

Vaishnaw turned furious on a remark from an Opposition member, and said that the present government did not believe in making reels for sympathy but working hard towards reform.

"Hum reel banane wale log nahi, mehnat karne wale log hai," Vaishnaw said.

He added that under the National Democratic Alliance, government has improved the working conditions of locomotive pilots by making 558 running rooms air-conditioned and making around 7,000 locomotive cabins air conditioned.

"The average working and rest times of Loco pilots are decided by a rule that was formulated in 2005. In 2016, the rules were amended and Loco pilots were given more facilities," Vaishnaw added.

He also said that the number of railway accidents has reduced to 0.03 significant accidents per million train km from 0.19 in 2014.

Vaishnaw also noted that former Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee was praised during her tenure for reducing the accident rate from 0.24 to 0.19.

The Railway Minister also accused the Congress party of using social media to spread misinformation and create fear among the public.

"Congress, with the help of its troll army on social media, raises false allegations. Are they trying to infuse fear in the hearts of the 2 crore people who travel by railways every day?" Vaishnaw said.

Opposition MPs in Lok Sabha on July 31 had expressed concern over the "increase" in number of train accidents in the country, while those of the treasury benches lauded the government's efforts to expand the railway network.

Several members also put forth their demands for railway lines in their areas as the Lower House discussed the Demand for Grants for the railways ministry.

Opposition MPs had pointed out that recent train accidents indicate there are many shortcomings in the functioning of the railways.

They also said that the government should look to increase the speed at which railway tracks are laid down and that privatisation of the railways would lead to a large-scale increase in unemployment.

Earlier this week, a survey conducted by Local Circles found that 42 percent of Indian railway travellers were unhappy with the safety features offered by Indian Railways, while 59 percent of them were concerned about repeated instances of derailment, and about track maintenance.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav told reporters on July 23 that out of the total Budget allocation of Rs 2.52 lakh crore for 2024-25 for Indian Railways, around Rs 1.08 lakh will be used to boost railway safety.

Railway experts including former Railway Board chairman Ashwani Lohani have called for making safety the number one priority at Indian Railways.

Experts have pointed out that the current government is comparing the safety record of Indian Railways in terms of fatalities and injuries to past records to paint a rosy picture which is misleading.

In 2023, India witnessed 25 'consequential' train accidents: six collisions, 13 derailments and six fires in trains, taking the lives of around 400 people and injuring another 1,000.