'Railways totally parentless': Mamata alleges Centre keen on only increasing fares

Kolkata: Alleging that the railways have become "totally parentless", West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday claimed that it was only keen on increasing fares and not improving passenger amenities.

Banerjee was speaking to the press at the Kolkata airport on the way to Siliguri to take stock of the situation following the train accident near Rangapani in which several people were killed.

"The railways have become totally parentless. Though the ministry is there, the old glory is missing. Only beautification is being done, but they do not care about passenger amenities. They are only keen on hiking fares," she claimed.

"You will only see them talk big. They also do not take care of the railway officers, technical, safety, and security personnel. I am with the railway employees and officers," she added.

She criticised the Railway Ministry, alleging that it was not implementing the anti-collision system properly, which could reduce the impact of such accidents.

"The number of train accidents has gone up. Accidents are not in anyone's control, this is a fact. But, the railways is not implementing the anti-collision system properly," she said.

"This accident could have been worse. Seventy-eighty people are injured and around 20 are critical. When one train hits another, then it becomes difficult to estimate how many people are injured," she added.

Banerjee also expressed her "disgust" over not being able to get a flight ticket from Kolkata to Siliguri, stating she wanted to travel much earlier.

"I have been trying for a flight to reach northern Bengal since morning but could not manage one. I did not know about the pathetic condition of flights," she said.

Banerjee said that after reaching Siliguri, she would go to the North Bengal Medical College.

"I will not go to the accident spot. I will be going to Coochbehar directly as I have some work there. I will return tomorrow evening," she said.

The accident happened at Rangapani near the New Jalpaiguri station as a goods train rammed into the Agartala-Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express from the rear.