New Delhi: While speaking in Lok Sabha, Union Minister for Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw criticised the opposition for their past failures in railway safety and their current criticisms of the government’s efforts. Vaishnaw questioned the opposition's inaction during their 58 years in power, specifically their inability to implement Automatic Train Protection (ATP) systems even over a single kilometre.

"Those who are shouting here must be asked in their 58 years of being in power why they were not able to install Automatic Train Protection (ATP), even 1 km, today, they dare to raise the questions." he stated. 

He further referenced the tenure of Mamata Banerjee as Railway Minister, noting that she had been praised for reducing accident numbers from 0.24 to 0.19. In contrast, Vaishnaw highlighted the current government's success in decreasing the accident rate from 0.19 to 0.03, yet facing criticism from the same quarters.

"When Mamata Banerjee was the railway minister, she used to give the accident numbers that decreased from 0.24 to 0.19. These people used to clap in the House, and today, when it has decreased from 0.19 to 0.03, they put forth such blame. Will this country run in this way?" he questioned.

Vaishnaw also accused the Congress party of using social media to spread misinformation and create fear among the public. "Congress, with the help of its troll army on social media, raises false allegations. Are they trying to infuse fear in the hearts of the 2 crore people who travel by railways every day?" he asked.

"We are not the people who make reels, we do hard work unlike you people who make reels for show off..." He said

 "The average working and rest times of Loco pilots are decided by a rule that was formulated in 2005. In 2016, the rules were amended and Loco pilots were given more facilities. All the running rooms - 558  were made air-conditioned. Loco cabs vibrate much, heated up and hence more than 7,000 loco cabs are air-conditioned. It was zero in the time of those people who today show sympathy by making reels..." the minister added.

Earlier the TMC on Wednesday had slammed Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for his remarks that the country is working on bullet trains and demanded that he be held accountable for recent train accidents, which have turned journeys into a nightmare for commuters.

Senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh and state minister Chandrima Bhattacharya voiced their concerns about the rising number of train accidents in the country, stating that these recent incidents highlight numerous shortcomings that need to be addressed.

"Train journeys have now turned into nightmares for commuters. The entire railway infrastructure has collapsed. They couldn't even uphold the advancements made by Mamata Banerjee during her tenure as railway minister. All they are doing is inaugurating new trains and neglecting existing ones," Ghosh said while addressing a press conference here.