Today,(On,15th April), The Supreme Court recognized the effectiveness of safety measures implemented by the railway authorities. As a result, the court decided to dismiss the related petition, acknowledging the railway’s efforts in ensuring passenger safety. This decision highlights the importance of proactive safety measures in the transportation sector.
New Delhi: On Monday, the Supreme Court acknowledged the measures implemented by the Indian Railways to prevent train accidents, such as the ‘Kavach’ automatic train protection system, aimed at avoiding collisions. Justices Surya Kant and K V Viswanathan disposed of a petition addressing various concerns about passenger safety after considering the numerous initiatives undertaken by the public sector giant to prevent accidents and ensure safe travel.
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Noting the status report submitted by Attorney General R Venkataramani, The bench remarked,
“We acknowledge the actions taken by the Railways,”
The Supreme Court requested information regarding the protective measures and steps taken or planned by the Indian government, including the ‘Kavach’ system, while considering a plea filed by Vishal Tiwari on January 2. The court instructed the petitioner to provide a copy of the plea to the Attorney General’s office.
The petitioner referred to a train accident in Balasore district, Odisha, in June of the previous year, which caused the death of 288 individuals, and claimed that the non-implementation of the ‘Kavach’ scheme leading to accidents. The petitioner urged the court to direct the government to establish an expert commission, led by a retired Supreme Court judge and composed of technical members, to assess and review the risk and safety parameters of the railway system and propose safety enhancements.
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The plea argued that the failure to promptly implement ‘Kavach’ resulted in significant loss of life and damage to public property, implying gross negligence and breach of duty by the authorities.
Additionally, the plea sought the issuance of immediate guidelines for the implementation of the ‘Kavach’ system. This petition filed shortly after a collision involving the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, which carrying approximately 2,500 passengers, and a goods train near Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore.