FREQUENT incidents of train derailment have become a grim reflection of a declining railway system. Ageing infrastructure, inadequate maintenance and mismanagement have pushed the network to a critical stage, jeopardising passenger safety and crippling connectivity. The derailment of four compartments of the Sylhet-bound Udayan Express on October 7 at Moglabazar is the latest reminder of this crisis. Twenty passengers were injured and railway communication with Sylhet had been disrupted for hours. The incident follows a series of similar events. In September, derailment near Pirgachha and the Dhaka airport station brought major routes to a standstill for hours. In August, five wagons of an oil-tanker went off the railway in Chapainawabganj while in May and April, multiple incidents of derailment on important routes severed links between Dhaka and several districts. Such occurrences can hardly be considered accidents as they now happen roughly a dozen times every month. Official reports show that nearly 63 per cent of all railway accidents stem from deteriorating railway line and weakened bridges. Several reports also indicate that only 1,000 kilometres of line out of 3,400 kilometres are in good condition. Moreover, only important sections have double railway lines while the remainder has a single line, poorly maintained and, in many cases, downright dangerous.
Yet, trains continue to run on the lines daily, often at a reduced speed to mitigate risks, nowhere near enough to eliminate them. Transport experts have for long warned that the focus on procuring new locomotives and carriages has come at the expense of maintaining the underlying infrastructure. Railways, bridges, sleepers and the signalling system are in varying states of disrepair. The traditional manual signalling method, reliant on pointsmen and prone to human errors, further increases the risk of derailments and collisions. Weak sleepers, missing fittings, expired carriage connections and neglected trolleys only compound the danger. Human and institutional dimensions are equally alarming. The Bangladesh Railways currently employs around 24,000 people against a required work force of 47,600. With a fewer trained personnel, oversight of railway lines and level crossings is woefully inadequate, resulting in hundreds of casualties each year. Corruption and bureaucratic inertia have further impeded maintenance efforts. Chronic underfunding has left modernisation projects lagging far behind while poor supervision and outdated practices perpetuate a cycle of systemic failure. The rolling stock is also in a perilous state. Of the 1,788 carriages now in use, 47 per cent have served out their shelf life. Only 295 engines are in operation.
The authorities should realise that patchwork fixes and piecemeal upgrades will not suffice and go for a comprehensive overhaul that prioritises infrastructure rehabilitation, modernises the signalling system, strengthens the work force and ensures transparent governance. A strategic, well-funded and corruption-free transformation is urgently required to bring the railways back on track.
