Railway
300 dead, many still trapped in India’s three-train crash (with photos)
300 dead, many still trapped in India’s three-train crash (with photos)
About 290 people have been confirmed dead and over 1,000 injured in the collision between two passenger trains and a freight train in the city of Balasore, in eastern Odisha state of India, on Friday.
CNN reports that rescuers expect the death toll to rise further as many are feared trapped under upturned carriages.
“We are not very hopeful of rescuing anyone alive,” Odisha’s fire services chief, Sudhanshu Sarangi, told local news channel NDTV.
The cause of the crash remains unclear but railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters Saturday that a “high-level inquiry” has been ordered into the collision, which took place near the Bahanaga railway station.
The incident has reverberated across India, a nation of 1.4 billion, prompting renewed calls for authorities to address safety issues that have plagued the country’s railways for decades.
India’s trains serve 13 million passengers every day, and eight billion a year.
While the government recently invested millions to upgrade its railways, years of neglect have caused tracks to deteriorate.
Video footage and photographs from Friday’s crash site show scenes of chaos and despair. Dozens of dead bodies can be seen lying beside the mangled trains, while police officers and survivors stand nearby.
Passengers’ personal belongings can be seen strewn inside carriages and windows have been crushed, spilling glass and metal debris onto the floors. Train carriages have been torn apart.
One of the passengers sitting in the second to last coach, Anshuman Purohi, told CNN that he felt a “massive shake” and realized there was something “very, very wrong.
“I opened the door and the scale [of the disaster] revealed itself. We saw the rest of the train in front of us in a ditch. As we walked, all we could here was a huge wail of human cries; bloodied people running to our coach for help and water.”
Rohit Raj, a 19-year-old survivor, told CNN: “I was sleeping when all of a sudden, I heard a loud crash. There was smoke everywhere, we couldn’t see. Everyone was screaming; everyone was in shock.”
“People were trying to run and escape from the train. The coach in front of me was badly mangled. People were badly trapped. I saw people piled on top of each other. My coach derailed, but thankfully I managed to escape.”
Search for survivors
Rescuers are scrambling to find survivors after the crash in one of the worst rail disasters the country has ever seen.
Speaking to reporters Saturday, Narendra Singh Bundela, Inspector General of Operations at the National Disaster Response Force (NDRP), said teams had rescued passengers found alive at the site, but many bodies remained trapped under the derailed carriages.
“The coaches are very heavy and it’s been a difficult task to remove them and identify bodies,” Bundela said, adding 17 coaches were derailed and severely damaged.
“This is a serious incident and the government has ordered an inquiry,” he said. “This century for India, as far as I know, it is one of the (most) serious accidents.”
More than 115 ambulances and several fire service units are involved in the rescue effort.
The Indian army, teams from the National Disaster Response Force, the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force, and the state’s fire services have been dispatched to the site.
Hundreds of people have gathered outside local hospitals to donate blood, in a massive show of solidarity and support. About 500 units of blood were collected overnight with 900 units currently in stock.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his condolences on Friday, stating, “Distressed by the train accident in Odisha. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families.”
Modi was on his way to visit the site of the deadly train crash in Odisha on Saturday morning, according to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office on Twitter.
A day of mourning will be observed in the Odisha on Saturday.
In 2021, more than 16,000 people were killed in nearly 18,000 railway accidents across the country.
According to the National Crime Records, most railway accidents – 67.7% – were due to falls from trains and collisions between trains and people on the track.
The latest crash comes as India carries out a major overhaul of its infrastructure, with the country investing millions to modernise transport links.
In February, Modi inaugurated the first section of a 1,386-kilometer (861-mile) expressway linking the capital New Delhi to the financial hub of Mumbai.
Construction is also underway for the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, which aims to decongest India’s railway network.
Later this year, the country will open Chenab Bridge – the world’s tallest railway bridge – in the country’s Jammu and Kashmir region.
Railway
Lagos Rail Mass Transit part of FG free train ride – NRC
Lagos Rail Mass Transit part of FG free train ride – NRC
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has disclosed that the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) trains are included in the Federal Government’s free train ride initiative for the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
The LRMT, which currently includes the Phase 1 Blue Line Rail and the Phase 1 of the Red Line Rail, operates under the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA).
This announcement was made by Ben Iloanusi, the Acting Managing Director of the NRC, during an interview on NTA News TV on Friday, following the launch of the initiative earlier that day.
While Iloanusi stated that Phase 1 of both the Blue Line and Red Line Rail projects are part of the program, LAMATA has yet to confirm this inclusion.
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Iloanusi outlined the other routes benefiting from the scheme, which include the Lagos-Ibadan Train Service, Kaduna-Abuja Train Service, Warri-Itakpe Train Service, Port Harcourt-Aba Train Service, and the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Mass Transit in Lagos. Notably, little was previously known about the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Mass Transit service until this disclosure.
“Let me mention the routes where this free train service is happening. We have the Lagos-Ibadan Train Service, we have the Kaduna-Abuja Train Service, we have the Warri-Itakpe Train Service, we have the Lagos Rail Mass Transit trains, we have the Port Harcourt-Aba Train Service, and we have what we call the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Mass Transit, which is also in Lagos,” he stated.
Iloanusi provided operational updates, stating that passengers nationwide can access free tickets online or, for those unable to do so, at train stations where they will be profiled and validated.
He noted that passengers using NRC-managed services (excluding the Lagos Rail Mass Transit) should reserve tickets via the official website, www.nrc.gov.ng, with a valid ID required. He also advised travelers to plan, arrive on time, and bring valid identification.
Lagos Rail Mass Transit part of FG free train ride – NRC
Railway
NRC announces special Xmas, end-of-year train service
NRC announces special Xmas, end-of-year train service
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) says it will operate an end of the year special train service on all its routes across the country.
It announced this in a statement on Wednesday by its Deputy Director, Public Relations, Yakub Mahmood, saying it was in compliance with the Federal Government’s directive through the Federal Ministry of Transportation.
It however did not indicate if the special train service would be free or not.
The Federal Government last year similarly declared special train services for Christmas and New Year, which were made free for all users.
The statement added the modality for this year’s special service would be released soon.
The latest statement read, “The management of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), in compliance with the Federal Government’s directive through the Federal Ministry of Transportation, hereby informs the general public that the NRC shall operate end of the year special train services in commemoration of Christmas and New Year celebrations.
“This end-of-the-year special train service on scheduled passenger trains, is part of the government’s gesture towards an enjoyable end of the year celebration.
“Dates and modalities of the end-of-the-year Special Train Service shall be communicated in due course. We wish all our esteemed customers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in advance.”
Railway
FG hands over $3bn Port Harcourt-Aba railway project to NRC
FG hands over $3bn Port Harcourt-Aba railway project to NRC
The 62-kilometre, $3.02 billion Port Harcourt-Aba railway project has been completed by Federal Government and handed over to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
The Port Harcourt-Aba section is part of the larger Port Harcourt-Maiduguri eastern narrow gauge railway project, initiated under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The project supervisor, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Ayo Dada, formally transferred the railway to the NRC during a brief ceremony held on Thursday in Port Harcourt.
He said that the project, completed in May, had significantly improved passenger movement between Rivers and Abia, thereby enhancing their economies.
“The assets handed over include dismantled tracks measuring 283.060 km, rehabilitated and reconstructed 62.800 km of subgrade and the laying of 62.800 km of rail for the main line,” Dada said.
“This includes the laying of rail for sliding lines covering 5.690 km and the reconstruction of 27 sets of turnouts at Port Harcourt, Elelenwo, Obuzor, Umugo and Aba Stations, among others.”
Dada said that with the handover of the Port Harcourt–Aba section, the Federal Government would focus on the Port Harcourt–Maiduguri phase of the project.
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“The contractor has submitted the technical specifications and maintenance manual for the Port Harcourt–Aba section to the consultants.
“The ministry is committed to completing this project, which will foster national development,” he said.
The Managing Director of the NRC, Ben Iloanusi, commended the Federal Government and the ministry of transportation for the timely completion and transfer of the project.
Iloanusi, represented by the NRC Deputy Manager (Civil), Adesegun Ogunade, said that the railway had greatly benefited Nigerians seeking affordable transportation options.
“The rail line, now in operation, has started mitigating the impact of high transportation costs caused by economic challenges,” he said.
“Train services have been running for some time and passengers have reported that it has made commuting between Port Harcourt and Aba more convenient, faster and cheaper.
“People are already experiencing the benefits of this government’s policies and programmes.’’
He assured that the Port Harcourt–Maiduguri section would also be completed in due course, emphasising that adequate security arrangements had been made to ensure the safety of workers and passengers.
FG hands over $3bn Port Harcourt-Aba railway project to NRC
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