Indian Railways Under Scrutiny: A Look at Performance and Challenges
A recent viral video has sparked a debate about the state of Indian Railways, highlighting a range of serious issues from passenger safety to hygiene standards and operational efficiency. The video, which has garnered significant attention, critiques the performance of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, whom some now refer to as "Reel Mantri" for his focus on social media-friendly projects like the Vande Bharat Express.
Passenger Safety and Overcrowding
Passenger safety is a major concern. Recent multiple videos brings to light an incident where a passenger was allegedly attacked by pantry staff for complaining about overcharging. This raises alarming questions about the safety of passengers who dare to report issues. Another tragic incident in Thane, Maharashtra, where four people lost their lives after falling from an overcrowded local train, underscores the lethal consequences of overcrowding. Data from the last 20 years reveals that over 51,000 people have died in Mumbai locals alone, highlighting a long-standing crisis.
The issue of overcrowding is not limited to local trains. It is disturbing visuals of passengers traveling in general and even sleeper coaches without tickets, and in some cases, unauthorized passengers in AC coaches. This not only causes immense inconvenience to ticket holders but also creates a chaotic and unsafe environment.
Unacceptable Hygiene and Overcharging
We can see nowadays social media exposes a severe lack of hygiene and rampant overcharging. Examples include:
Contaminated Food: Passengers on the Bhopal Vande Bharat Express were served food with cockroaches, fungus, and mold. This is a shocking revelation, especially for a premium service like the Vande Bharat.
Dirty Water: Pantry staff were caught selling unsealed and possibly unclean water bottles at inflated prices. When a passenger complained, they were met with aggression and threats.
Overcharging for Basic Items: ₹10 coffee was being sold for ₹20, and when a passenger asked for a bill, the manager became confrontational.
While a few such incidents that go viral lead to fines and contract cancellations, many more go unnoticed, leaving a systemic problem unaddressed. It also suggests that despite these issues, the focus has been on superficial "masterstroke" moves like installing ATMs in trains, which critics argue are unnecessary in the age of UPI and station ATMs.
Ticketing and Infrastructure Gaps
We can also criticize the railway's ticketing system, particularly the Tatkal booking process. It describes the difficulty of booking tickets, where agents and bots often secure all available seats within seconds, forcing regular passengers to pay double the price. While a new Aadhaar verification system has been announced to tackle this, the current system is seen as a major failure.
The critique extends to the prioritization of infrastructure. While the government focuses on the Vande Bharat Express, which most of the population cannot afford, the production of sleeper and general coaches is being reduced. This is a significant concern as only about 5% of passengers travel in AC coaches, while the majority rely on sleeper and general classes. We can point out that the production of AC coaches is set to increase by 150%, while sleeper coaches will decrease by 86%, exacerbating the overcrowding problem.
Frequent Accidents and Slow Implementation of Safety Systems
We can also also touche on the high number of train accidents. It references the tragic Balasore accident that killed 296 people, where the Odisha High Court pointed to maintenance issues. Other incidents like the derailment of the Bikaner-Guwahati Express and the Delhi-Kamakhya North Eastern Express are also mentioned.
The "Kavach" system, an anti-collision technology, has been highly publicized but its implementation is alarmingly slow. Despite a first field trial a decade ago, only 2% of India's railway network is covered by the system, a fact that raises questions about the urgency and seriousness of implementing critical safety measures.
Broader Portfolio and Accountability
And we can also go beyond railways to criticize Ashwini Vaishnaw's performance in his other ministerial roles—the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Ministry of Electronics and IT. It raises concerns about:
The Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill: A draft bill that proposed strict government regulation over content on OTT platforms and social media, which could potentially stifle online freedom of expression.
Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP): This act is criticized for potentially weakening the Right to Information (RTI) Act by allowing public bodies to deny requests for personal information, which could lead to a lack of accountability and increased corruption.
Media Regulation: Here, we want to highlight the lack of action against media houses for spreading misinformation, citing examples like the "Operation Sindoor" reportage and the use of AI-generated images to report on the Air India plane crash.
While we acknowledges some positive developments, such as the self-reliance in coach manufacturing and the progress in electrification and signaling, it emphasizes that these achievements are overshadowed by systemic failures and a lack of accountability. It also calls for a change in public behavior, citing incidents of stone-pelting, track tampering, and littering as a shared responsibility.
Our conclusion is a stark reminder that while criticizing the government is important, the public also has a role to play in maintaining civic standards. It ends by asking viewers for their opinion on the matter, suggesting a need for a collective effort to address these deep-rooted issues.
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