India’s deadly train crash renews questions over safety as government pushes railway upgrade

By SHEIKH SAALIQ
Associated Press

NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s prime minister had been scheduled to inaugurate an electrical semi-high-speed train equipped with a safety feature _ another step in the modernization of an antiquated railway that is the lifeline of the world’s most populous nation. Instead on Saturday, Narendra Modi traveled to eastern Odisha state to deal with one of the country’s worst train disasters that left over 280 dead and hundreds injured. The massive derailment on Friday night involving two passenger trains is a stark reminder of safety issues that continue to challenge the vast railway system that transports nearly 22 million passengers each day. The Modi government, in power for nine years, has invested tens of billions of dollars to upgrade the railways. But hundreds of accidents still happen every year.