CASES of trains ramming vehicles on the level crossing, leaving people dead, hardly appear to be ending even after a noticeable number of such accidents. At least seven died after a train had hit a battery-powered auto-rickshaw at Burichang in Cumilla on November 26. Railway authorities say that the level crossing was unauthorised and unattended. In a business-as-usual move, a committee was formed to investigate the incident while the railway authorities say their initial investigation found no fault of the driver. Any post-accident discussion on level crossing accidents mostly revolves around whether the level crossings were illegal, not under the jurisdiction of the railway authorities or the crossings were gated and attended. Experts have, however, for long asked the government to install an automated system for level crossing management to avoid human errors. The National Economic Council approved plans for an unattended and far-controlled level crossing system in 2015, but the projects were not implemented. People, meanwhile, continue to die on the level crossings that could have been prevented.
In 2005鈥�2020, 419 people died and more than 2,000 became injured in 4,914 train accidents. A majority of the accidents took place on unattended level crossings. The authorities acknowledge the problem but consider recruiting staff for all level crossings to be burdensome for an agency that is incurring losses. The Bangladesh Railway has experienced a severe crisis of human resources, a major reason there has been a spike in railway accidents. In fact, the agency is run with only a third of the required drivers, station masters and guards. Many technical staff lack training to discharge their responsibilities. Since 1947, successive governments have invested very little in the expansion of the railway infrastructure. It is, therefore, not surprising that the railway has become accident-prone, its resources are depleted and its land is illegally occupied. The erratic train schedule, declining customer care and uneven investment in the road transport sector have made many train stations non-operational. Recurring accidents and the state of the railway demonstrate the government鈥檚 prolonged negligence towards the sector.
In addition to speedy implementation of the projects already undertaken, the government should take drastic measures to stop any new installation of unauthorised level crossings, bring under its purview all that remains outside and employ trained personnel to supervise and run level crossings round the clock. The government should also consider the proposal for a safety audit, as suggested by experts, and prepare a long-term master plan to guide the overall development of the railway in the foreseeable future. The potential of the railway needs to be unlocked through planned investment.
