The Vande Bharat Express, a recent addition to the Indian Railways, is the talk of the town, but not for all the right reasons. In fact, the express train is involved in several cattle accidents and it’s becoming a matter of concern. The express running on the Mumbai-Gandhinagar route was involved in three accidents within the first month of its launch. In addition, there was a collision between a herd of buffaloes and the Vande Bharat Express between Gairatpur and Vatva railway stations. The cattle collision on the Chennai-Mysuru-Bengaluru route is another recent cattle accident.
The Ministry’s Solution To The Vande Bharat Express Accidents
Since the rise in cattle-hit incidents, the government aims to undertake preventive measures. A majority of the cases occurred on the Mumbai-Gandhinagar route. According to the Minister Of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, a boundary wall on the 1,000-km stretch is in the process of construction within the next six months. Further, he confirmed approving one of the two designs of the walls. However, these boundary walls will not help in solving these cattle run problems and may instead affect the villagers in the area.
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The Loss Of Animal Life And Capital
The Data given by the Ministry of Railways show the loss of cattle and human lives. Innocent animals have lost their lives, and the cattle rearers are paying the price, as cattle rearing is their source of income. Besides, the reported cases of train loss were 2,115 in FY 2022 and 2,650 between April to October 2022.
According to Shri Prakash-a former member of Indian Railways(traffic), the only solution to control cattle runovers is by fencing. The majority of cases are from the Northern states, which is concerning. This not only results in loss of life but also compromises the safety of the passengers.
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To summarise, taking precautions and securing the area near the railway tracks is an important responsibility that Indian Railways must undertake ASAP.
Cover Image Courtesy: Wikimedia
Source: Hindustan Times