Jun 5, 2023 - World

Horrific crash in India puts rail safety in spotlight

Dave Lawler

Rescue workers work through the wreckage. Photo: Dipa Chakraborty/Eyepix Group/Future Publishing via Getty

At least 275 people were killed and around 1,200 were injured in a train crash in eastern India that authorities say was caused by an electronic signaling system error.

The big picture: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made modernizing India's vast rail system a major priority, increasing spending by 5x from before he took office to $30 billion last year.

Yes, but: Most of that money has been spent on new trains and new tracks. A government audit last year found that spending on routine maintenance had actually declined.

How it happened: The high-speed Coromandel Express passenger train en route to Chennai was mistakenly signaled off the main line and onto an adjacent track, where it collided with a freight train carrying iron ore.

Cars from the Coromandel Express were thrown onto another track. Another passenger train bearing down on the wreckage also derailed.
It's not yet clear if human or mechanical error was to blame for Friday's crash.

Worth noting: Overall, train derailments have declined significantly in India in recent decades, NYT notes.

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Horrific crash in India puts rail safety in spotlight

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