BR peril sees no end

Anisur Rahman Khan :
Despite the implementation of several new railway projects aimed at the development of the country’s railway infrastructure, train accidents persist at an alarming rate.

Even after the passage of twenty-four hours since a commuter train collided with an oil-carrying train at the Joydebpur Railway junction in Gazipur, the salvage operation has shown minimal advancement.

The collision, which occurred near Kazi Bari around 11am on Friday, disrupted train communication between Dhaka and the northeastern region for two hours.

Despite ongoing efforts, rescue teams have struggled to clear the wreckage of two oil-laden wagons and two commuter train bogies.

Experts highlight that railway accidents are primarily on the rise due to various factors, including signalling defects, hazardous level crossings, outdated coach couplings, dilapidated railway lines, and a lack of adequate monitoring and manpower.

Thousands of people travel daily on these dilapidated railway lines and bridges, increasing the risk of accidents.

Furthermore, experts note that many old railway lines and bridges remain unrepaired, as the railway authority prioritises spending on new projects rather than renovating existing infrastructure.

Among the 3,400 kilometres of railway lines across the country, only the Dhaka-Chattogram, Dhaka-Joydebpur, and Jashore-Abdulpur railway lines boast double lines, while the remainder are predominantly single gauge and in urgent need of repair.

Consequently, various accidents, including derailments, continue to occur, with approximately 63% attributed to unsafe lines and deteriorating bridges.

Over the past five years, more than 2,000 accidents have occurred, resulting in over 150 fatalities and 500 injuries.

Recent statistics reveal a troubling trend, with 160 railway incidents and acts of vandalism reported across the country in the last four months alone, resulting in 18 passenger fatalities and 200 injuries.

Researchers emphasise that without proper monitoring by the authorities, these accidents cannot be effectively controlled.

According to the Railway Ministry’s annual report for 2022–23, there are a total of 315 passenger trains operating across the country. Remarkably, within the past 15 years, 143 new trains have been introduced to enhance transportation services.

Additionally, significant infrastructure developments have been undertaken, with approximately 843 kilometres of new railways constructed and 1,391 kilometres of existing railway lines repaired.

The report further highlights substantial improvements in railway station infrastructure, including the construction of 146 new railway station buildings and the reconstruction of 273 station buildings.

Moreover, efforts have been made to enhance safety and accessibility through the construction of 1,037 new bridges and the reconstruction of 794 railway bridges.

Furthermore, the government has focused on modernising the rolling stock with the procurement of 109 locomotives and 658 passenger carriages. Additionally, rehabilitation efforts have been undertaken, including the refurbishment of 530 passenger carriages.

In addition to the procurement of passenger carriages and locomotives, the government has also acquired 516 freight wagons and initiated the rehabilitation of 277 existing freight wagons. However, despite these efforts, challenges persist within the railway department.

Currently, the railway department operates with 1,788 coaches, nearly half of which have reached the end of their economic lives.

Operational engines number only 295, with a concerning 60% classified as expired. Similarly, of the 3,247 freight wagons in operation, approximately 67% are past their expiration date.

Moreover, there is a significant manpower shortage, with only 24,000 personnel against the required 47,600, according to the railway organogram.

Non-governmental data indicates that the country possesses over 3,400 kilometres of railway lines. However, only approximately 1,000 kilometres of these lines are considered to be of adequate quality.

This leaves a substantial portion of railway infrastructure in a state of disrepair, posing serious risks to train operations.

Deteriorating railway bridges are particularly problematic, with ground shifts and structural weaknesses leading to safety concerns.

Nut-bolts, sleepers, clip-hooks, and fishplates are often found to be unstable, necessitating trains to operate at reduced speeds, sometimes as slow as 5 km/h, in bridge areas to mitigate risks.

Despite sporadic repair efforts, patchy maintenance has led to bridge collapses, resulting in loss of life, damage to railway assets, and disruptions to train services.

Risky bridges receive sporadic repairs from the revenue sector, but significant action is lacking.

Out of the total 3,085 kilometres of railway tracks, 1,387 kilometres are under the Eastern Railway, while 1,698 kilometres belong to the Western Railway.

However, the majority of the 4,586 railway bridges surrounding these railways are in a dilapidated and risky state.

Railway sources reveal that nearly 90% of these railway bridges were constructed during the British colonial period and have since surpassed their expected lifespan.

Despite their age and condition, efforts to maintain these bridges are unequal, leading to recurrent accidents, including train derailments.

Many of these bridges, constructed with brick, sand, and lime, are now structurally compromised.

An anonymous railway engineer involved in bridge renovation highlights the gradual deterioration of bridge pillars without proper reinforcement, making them prone to cracking at any moment.

Over time, numerous dilapidated bridges have undergone uneven repair attempts, primarily involving the injection of rod and cement.

On the Eastern Railway, there are 155 major bridges, while the Western Railway boasts 250. Additionally, there are approximately 1,225 illegal level crossings throughout the railway network, exacerbating safety concerns.

The most severe accidents occur on dilapidated bridges and in areas with illegal level crossings. Wooden sleepers on these bridges are often unstable and extensively damaged.

Repairing these old and deteriorating bridges presents a significant challenge for the Ministry of Railways. Heavy rainfall and landslides exacerbate the situation, causing soil movement and increasing the risk of bridge collapse.

In such scenarios, trains are halted, and immediate repairs are done to prevent catastrophic accidents. However, there are instances where entire railway lines or bridges collapse due to the force of nature.

Sources stated that the government has spent Tk 95,000 crore on various railway development projects in the last 15 years. Besides, another undergoing development project worth around Tk 2 lakh crore, but for some invisible reason, the railways department didn’t take any project for the development of dilapidated bridges and rail lines.

Public transport analyst and former Director of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) Accident Research Institute Professor Hadiuzzaman said, “The railway authority is currently involved in one-way development work.”

“Just new locomotives and coaches are being purchased,” he said, adding that some are personally benefiting from these purchases.”

“It is not increasing the quality of passenger services. When these locomotives and coaches were brought into the country, it was found that there were no standard railway lines to operate them. About 2,500 km of railways are risky,” the official said in reply to a query.

The authority concerned must renovate the existing risky railways instead of buying new coaches and locomotives, experts observed.