The derailment of nine coaches of the Vijay Express is yet another indication of the dilapidated condition of the railways across the country. Nine coaches of the Vijay Express train derailed at Nangalkot in Cumilla on Sunday (March 17). About 30 passengers of the train were injured in the accident.
Hasanpur Railway Station Master Mangu Marma immediately said that the accident occurred due to the bending of the railway line in summer. However, immediately after the accident, the railway authorities formed two separate committees to investigate the actual cause of the accident.
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) Civil Engineering Department Professor Hadiuzzaman said that he does not think that the accident happened due to the bending of the railway line in summer.
Prof. Hadiuzzaman said, when the accident happened, I was observing the situation and saw that the temperature in Cumilla was around 30-32 degree Celsius. I don't think the accident was caused by the bending of the railway line.
He said, if the ambient temperature is 32 degrees Celsius, then the temperature of the railway line can be at most 10 degrees Celsius higher because the railway line absorbs heat. If the rail bends with this amount of heat, then it is a concern because, summer has not yet started and it will get hotter in the coming months. In that case, the railway authorities may have to stop the train.
He also said that the reason behind the accident could be the breakage of the hook, with which the rest of the coaches are attached to the locomotive because if the railway line is bent due to heat, the engine of the train is also supposed to derail. The engine of the train was not derailed. It is reported that people nearby heard loud noises. Maybe the sound is from the collision of the engines with the bogies.
Professor Hadiuzzaman also said that about 500 meters of railway line was uprooted in the accident. As a result, it is now very difficult to tell whether the railway line is bent or not.
Wavy lines and derailments
He said that 70 percent of the railway accidents are due to derailment. According to the data book of Bangladesh Railway, accidents have decreased in the last 10 years. In 2008-2009, there were 7 collisions, 408 derailments and 34 disruptions of trains.
On the other hand, in 2019-20, the number of clashes was one. The number of derailments was 72 and stalled trains stood at 7. A total of 80 accidents occurred in that year.
Moreover, according to Bangladesh Railway's own feasibility study, 63 percent of the nearly 3,000 kilometers of old railway lines across the country are at risk.
Prof. Hadiuzzaman said the railways are very keen on taking up new projects but they seem to be neglecting the old ones, which require maintenance.
Not only in Bangladesh, are railway lines in hot regions all over the world prone to buckling in hot weather. Buckling is also seen in railway lines in developed countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. Buckling occurs on railway lines in neighboring India. But these countries take various measures to reduce the problem.
To reduce the heat of the railway line, the railway line is painted white. Adding white color to the railway line reduces the heat a lot. In India, sometimes they also use wet blankets on railway lines to reduce the heat.
Prof. Hadiuzzaman said, Bangladesh Railway should find and monitor heat-prone areas. It can place thermal sensors along rail lines. Many countries around the world use thermal sensors, which will alert officials about the temperature of railway lines. After that, the railway officials will take measures accordingly to reduce the temperature of the railway line.
Prof. Hadiuzzaman said, the maintenance of the old railway lines must be done, otherwise the number of derailments will increase in the coming years. He thinks that railways may need to invest about Tk. 10 thousand crore to fix the old railway lines. It is not much money compared to the projects that are in railways.
Several officials of the railways, who did not want to reveal their names, agreed with the words of Prof. Hadiuzzaman. They feel that the accident of Vijay Express is not the temperature and buckling of the railway line. Because something else.
Now that the summer heat has not built up enough to bend the railway line, I think some other reason for the accident, said a railway employee who is often on duty in rescue trains after accidents.