By P. Vijian
NEW DELHI (NNN-Bernama) -- Several major train mishaps in India has prompted the country's railway officials to study safety protocols similar to those adopted in nuclear power plants and aviation industry -- where there is "zero tolerance" for accidents.
A spate of recent train tragedies, leaving hundreds dead and scores injured, had upset India, a country where railway is a convenient and cheap mode of transportation for millions.
The proposal came after last Tuesday's late-night train disaster in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, where 10 people were killed and nearly 70 injured, when a passenger coach rammed a stationary train.
Indian Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi said the government had set up a high-powered team to study safety in train operations, though overall accident rates had declined.
"Our safety record is not bad compared to the rest of the world but we want to ensure there is no single accident. Safety will not be compromised, that is a tall order," Trivedi told the media today.
Official statistics show train accidents had dipped -- from 2,000 in early 60s to 473 in 2000 to 141 incidents early this year.
Besides, India's accidents per million train kilometres dropped considerably from 5.50 in 1961 to 0.65 in 2001.
India boasts one of world's largest and oldest railway networks, where 19,000 trains, both passenger and freight trains, criss-cross the mammoth country every day.
An estimated 18 million people travel daily on trains, a vital mode of public transport system connecting both rural and urban India. -- NNN-BERNAMA
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