ZCZC
BFF-32
INDIA-TRAIN-DERAIL
Passenger train derails in western India
NEW DELHI, June 10, 2018 (BSS/XINHUA) – A passenger train derailed in the
western Indian state of Maharashtra early Sunday morning, railway officials
said.
“Three coaches of the Mumbai-Howrah Mail train derailed near Igatpuri in
Maharashtra. No casualties were reported in the mishap,” Central Railway
spokesperson Sunil Udasi told media.
The incident disrupted railway traffic in the area for some time. “Some 12
trains had to be cancelled,” another official said.
A probe has been ordered into the incident, he added.
The Indian Railways is one of the world’s largest train networks, criss-
crossing the country from north to south. It operates some 9,000 passenger
trains and carries nearly 23 million passengers every day.
However, train disasters are quite common in India as much of the
colonial-era rail infrastructure is out of date. A number of people are
killed in train accidents, mostly derailments, across the country every year.
In 2015, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government pledged 137
billion U.S. dollars over five years to modernize and expand the railways.
BSS/XINHUA/GMR/1303 hrs