Kerala Chief Minister writes to Ashwini Vaishnaw after Shoranur railway accident

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, urging immediate action on safety violations after four workers were killed by a train near Shoranur. The workers, engaged in track cleaning for a railway contractor, were struck by the Kerala Express on November 2, sparking concerns about safety standards for contract staff.
In his letter, Vijayan requested enhanced training and awareness programs for workers involved in railway operations, stressing that safety measures are not being adequately enforced. “This unfortunate incident is not isolated,” Vijayan wrote, pointing out that a similar tragedy had occurred just months earlier in Thiruvananthapuram. In that case, a contract sanitation worker drowned while cleaning the Amayizhanjan Canal beneath a railway track, again exposing lapses in safety precautions by contractors employed by the railways. He expressed deep concern that such preventable accidents continue to happen due to negligence by those responsible for worker safety.
The Chief Minister urged the Centre to ensure proper safety training for all contract workers and called for adequate compensation for the families of the deceased.
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was in Kerala over the weekend to review railway infrastructure. During his visit, he conditionally approved the K-Rail project, urging the state to address technical and environmental concerns. The K-Rail, a semi-high-speed rail project, has faced public and political opposition due to potential displacements.
Vaishnaw also made some announcements, including the reconstruction of 35 railway stations in Kerala. The Union government has increased its allocation for railway projects in the state to Rs 3,000 crore, with Rs 393 crore set aside for the reconstruction of Thrissur railway station.