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Replacing tinderbox coaches

The Gautami Express fire that took a toll of 31 lives is a grievous tragedy and a grim reminder that fire safety remains a neglected aspect of railway operations. That the fire broke out in the dead of night at a time when it was drizzling and gale-like winds were blowing was most unfortunate. Four coaches of the Secunderabad-Kakinada Express were consumed by the fire and a fifth sleeper coach was partially gutted. Very few bodies could be recovered from the charred remains, and the task of identifying the dead proved quite a challenge for the local authorities and the Railways. The Commissioner of Railway Safety has already begun his statutory inquiry, but it will take time for the process to be completed. Early reports spoke of two possible causes — an over-heated axle and a short circuit. However, preliminary enquiries seem to point to oil and a stove and to cooking by passengers — a dangerous practice that was in vogue on trains some decades ago and apparently continues in some sectors. Whatever the cause, it is now up to the Railway Board to look at ways of preventing the recurrence of such tragedies. The first priority must be to go in for fire-retardant material in the painting, furnishing, and wiring of coaches. The Integral Coach Factory in Chennai has tried out some materials and the time has come to settle for the most viable option, even if it meant a substantial rise in production cost of coaches.

It is surprising that the Railways has not gone in for fire or smoke alarms in trains. Though smoking is banned in public places, including trains, the ban is not enforced strictly. Passengers need to be cautioned against smoking and against the even more incendiary practice of cooking. Given the surpluses the Railways has started earning, Minister Lalu Prasad must use a chunk of the reserve and depreciation fund to speed up research and use of non-combustible paints and fire-retardant material in coaches. In the massive safety drive that the Railways has embarked on, the focus should not be confined to track renewal, signalling, and rolling stock. It needs to look also at the long-neglected area of fire safety. The safety record may have improved, but accidents such as the Kesamudram fire underline how vulnerable rail coaches are. Just as they are working on anti-collision devices, the authorities must expedite the project on better design for the coaches. That some of the passengers in the S10 coach could not escape because the door was jammed is another part of the story that points to deeply flawed maintenance. Fire safety has to be on the top of priority areas the Railways needs to address.

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