• Another Huge Indian Train Wreck - 288 dead, 1000+ Injured

    From 24D.224@21:1/5 to All on Sat Jun 3 20:48:53 2023
    XPost: talk.politics.misc, alt.politics, alt.politics.eu
    XPost: alt.politics.usa

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/06/03/india-train-crash-rescue-operation-survivors/

    Those responsible for India’s deadliest train crash in
    decades “will be punished stringently,” Prime Minister
    Narendra Modi said on Saturday as he fought criticism
    of his government in the wake of the disaster.

    “It’s a painful incident. Government will leave no
    stone unturned for the treatment of those injured...
    Instructions [have been] issued for [a] probe from
    every angle,” he said.

    More than 280 people died and nearly a thousand were
    injured when two passenger trains derailed in the
    eastern state of Odisha on Friday night.

    Mr Modi’s government has made transport a priority
    and has spent billions on improving the railway system
    in recent years, including safety - but Friday’s crash
    is believed to be the deadliest in more than 20 years.

    . . .

    Indian trains and Mexican buses ... the top two
    ways NEVER to travel !

    India has a habit of absolutely PACKING people onto
    trains - still fairly common in many places to see
    a bunch of people riding on top of the cars. Alas
    the rail system has been "poor" for a very long
    time and serious incidents are common. THIS one
    was just unusually large, but not "unusual".

    India is a fascinating anomaly - both 1st-world
    AND 3rd-world all at the same time.

    The USA keeps trying to ramp-up its train system,
    including passenger travel. There are some 'green'
    reasons for this, but we also hear some stupid
    shit too - and the taxpayers tend to wind up footing
    the bill. There's a new "high speed" line about to
    open between Miami and Orlando - except all the
    tracks and bridges and equipment were designed for
    much slower freight trains. The upgrade to deal
    with 100+ mph passenger trains has been horrific
    and most of it has come out of the public purse.

    BTW ... take a train to Orlando and, well, what
    do you do when you GET there ? You'll have to
    get taxis/ubers or rent a car at considerable
    expense and inconvenience. The money/time 'saved'
    by the train totally disappears.

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