Railways is now parentless: Mamata Banerjee slams Centre over Kanchanjungha train accident

Speaking to the reporters ahead of travelling to North Bengal to reach ground zero of the accident, Mamata, a former Railway Minister, questioned the absence of an anti-collision device or Kavach which could have averted the accident.

Photo courtesy: IBNS

She said, "Accidents can happen. It's a fact. But where was the anti-collision device, which I had implemented being the Railway Minister?"

"Railways has become totally parentless. We can notice the grand inaugurations and beautifications like fashion shows but passengers and railway staff are not taken care of," the Chief Minister said in the backdrop of a number of train accidents recently.

What do we know about the accident?

Eight people including five passengers and three railway staff died and about 50 others injured after the Kanchanjungha Express train, which was travelling from Assam's Silchar to Sealdah in Kolkata, was rammed by the goods train in Darjeeling.

The collision led to 3 coaches of the Agartala-Sealdah Kanchanjungha Express train, which was stationed, to derail.

The Railways suspect the driver of the goods train disobeyed the signal. The driver is one of the people who died in the accident.

"The first indications suggest that this is a case of signal disregard. Kavach needs to proliferated, planned for West Bengal," says Jaya Varma Sinha, Chairman and CEO Railway Board.