Very Sad news which give rise to several thought provoking questions, that are very much relevant at this juncture, at the back drop of the recent spate of accidents/derailments-
1-Why the situation of running double the number trains than the capacity of the track exist today?
2-Did the situation/problem developed over night?
3-How this situation could have been avoided?
We...
more... have to go deep into the history of IR to expose the root causes, which today are buried under the numerous layers of history, that even the resourceful Indian media is not able to see. Every body wants a escape goat for every accident/ wrong happenings.
1-1)IR was one of the leading rail network at the time of independence by its vastness, traffic, its technology and by its financial condition, at the time of independence.
1-2)Gradually, IR became a battle ground for populism, vote bank politics, corruption etc. As a result, Inefficiency bred in the organisational work culture. Financial wisdom was often up for a toss.
1-3)Lower class ac Passenger fares (over 95% of total paxs) were not increased in proportion to the rise in input costs/inflation, just to become champion of poor and secure their votes.
1-4)To make up for the lost revenue, taking benefit of monopoly over rail transport, IR indiscriminately increased freight fares (take care of inflation), as a result the freight switched over to trucks and IR lost two thirds of its market share and revenue.
1-5)Upper class fares were also increased beyond proportion leading to diversion of profit giving upper class paxs to airlines/ cars/ luxury buses.
1-6)Only the highly subsidised lower class passengers continue to swell in number resulting in poor revenue surplus with IR.
1-7) As a result, no money was left with IR, for the necessary replacement of overaged assets/ worn out equipments/ additional lines necessary for IR to ensure safety and higher traffic.
1-8)Almost every RM (barring a few) were just busy doling out goodies by way of concessions, schools, colleges, hospitals, new trains (often unwanted and loss making) to their constituencies/ states, splurging the scarce surplus resource of IR on constructing new lines, gauge conversions etc in his/her home state. This practice assumed draconian dimensions with advent of coalition politics and rise of regional parties.
1-9) Funds which must have gone into the decongestion of the highly saturated trunk and other routes were diverted to nondeserving sundry projects in VIP area/state. A large number of passenger trains were introduced on the already congested routes making operation difficult and unsafe. NDLS-HWH is the biggest sufferer in this respect and hence the most accident prone today, in spite of much higher investment as compared to other trunk routes.
2-1) The situation is a result of poor capacity augmentation/modernisation, financial imprudence, very strong departmentalism, Very poor record in adopting new technology/ management principles/ financial methods and extreme political expediency during the last 7 decades.
2-2) Biggest irony is those who did maximum damage to IR/nation and are very much responsible for this (bad) condition of IR/nation, does not lose any opportunity to point fingers at IR and give a lot of advice at the drop of a hat. This is state of affairs in our country.
3-1) Political expediency can be reduced but cannot be eliminated in current set up but can be reduces substantially.
3-2)Unless the private sector is gradually involved in railway operation and given a level playing field with IR, i.e. without bringing competition in railway operation in India, not much betterment can be expected. It is a difficult task but can be achieved if done with right spirit, intention ans in planned gradual steps. Monopoly always breed inefficiency esp. in a huge govt. organisation like IR.
3-3)If IR is competing with the pvt train operators, political forces shall not have much liberty for undue interference, because they cannot forget their responsibility to disburse salary to employees. IR shall have no option but to change and stand up before the pvt, operators. 3-3-4)This thing is already being done by govt/PSUs like BSNL, Air India, NTPC, OIL, SAIL, Road ways, Govt owned Banks etc. who have improved a lot are successfully competing with pvt sector. The developmental/augmentation works may be done by the efficient pvt sector players.
3-5) It is time to stop treating the railways as a holy cow, and liberate the sector as done earlier in telecom, power, steel, petro-chemical etc. sectors which has developed leap and bounds over the years due to competition.
