Why do so many trains crash in India?

Exploring what caused a triple-train crash that killed nearly 300 people in Odisha

An episode of the The Global Story podcast, hosted by BBC World Service, titled "Why do so many trains crash in India?" was published on July 29, 2024 and runs 24 minutes.

July 29, 2024 ·24m · The Global Story

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Summary

Just over a year ago, a devastating crash involving three trains killed nearly 300 people and injured more than 800 in India’s eastern Odisha state. It was one of the deadliest train crashes in history. But this isn’t the only crash to happen on Indian railways – one of the largest railway networks in the world. Lucy Hockings talks to Alessandra Bonomolo – the director of a new BBC documentary about last year’s collision called Why Trains Crash - and BBC India correspondent Soutik Biswas. They discuss why so many train crashes happen in India. Could the Odisha rail crash have been prevented - and are we doing enough around the world to make our railways safe?The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email us at [email protected] You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.Producer: Alice Aylett Roberts and Tom Kavanagh Sound engineer: Gareth Jones and Ben Andrews Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

Episode Description

Just over a year ago, a devastating crash involving three trains killed nearly 300 people and injured more than 800 in India’s eastern Odisha state. It was one of the deadliest train crashes in history. But this isn’t the only crash to happen on Indian railways – one of the largest railway networks in the world. Lucy Hockings talks to Alessandra Bonomolo – the director of a new BBC documentary about last year’s collision called Why Trains Crash - and BBC India correspondent Soutik Biswas. They discuss why so many train crashes happen in India. Could the Odisha rail crash have been prevented - and are we doing enough around the world to make our railways safe?

The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email us at [email protected] You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.

Producer: Alice Aylett Roberts and Tom Kavanagh Sound engineer: Gareth Jones and Ben Andrews Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

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