The Rajya Sabha witnessed a heated debate on Wednesday as opposition leaders launched a scathing attack on the central government, blaming railway privatisation for endangering passenger safety, rising accidents, and widespread job losses.
During the discussion on the working of the Ministry of Railways, DMK MP N R Elango alleged that 2 million railway jobs have been cut due to the government’s move towards outsourcing and contractual hiring. He argued that handing over critical railway operations to private players has led to a severe compromise in safety, resulting in tragic accidents.
“In the past three to four years, we have lost 400 valuable lives due to train accidents. Compare this to the period between 2018 and 2021, when there were zero deaths. Why is this happening? Because railway employees have been replaced with private contractors who do not have a sense of ownership over the system,” Elango stated. He accused the government of subcontracting railway line maintenance and infrastructure upkeep, further diluting accountability.
Elango’s concerns were echoed by RJD MP Sanjay Yadav, who criticized the government for its failure to fully implement ‘Kavach’, the indigenous railway safety system designed to prevent collisions. “How many more lives will be lost while waiting for Kavach? The government boasts about modernisation, but basic safety measures are still lacking,” he said.
He also raised concerns over the deteriorating condition of railway travel, highlighting frequent derailments, filthy toilets at stations and in trains, overcrowded compartments, and the administration’s failure to manage growing passenger traffic. Taking a dig at the government, Yadav remarked, “Rail journeys in India have become a ‘suffer’ rather than a ‘safar’ (travel).”
The opposition’s attack comes amid growing concerns over the government’s push for privatisation. In 2015, a NITI Aayog committee proposed a 20-year vision to privatise key segments of the railway network. Since then, the government has steadily introduced private participation in operations, maintenance, and services.