man made disaster train accident essay

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Man Made Disaster Essay

A disaster is a significant issue that occurs over a short or long period. It results in widespread loss of life, property, or resources that are greater than the capacity of the affected community or society to cope with using its resources. Typically, disasters are classified as either "natural disasters" produced by natural hazards or "human-instigated disasters" induced by human hazards. Here are a few sample essays on "Man-Made Disasters".

100 Words Essay On Man-Made Disaster

A disaster is an unexpected accident. It may also be called a "calamity". Disasters caused by the activities of humans or the involvement of humans or their negligence are known as man-made disasters. They are also called "anthropogenic hazards". Man-made disasters impact livelihood, cause injuries, cost lives etc. Examples are chemical spills, nuclear explosions, cyber-attacks, fire, hazardous material explosions etc.

Disasters also affect the economic and social environment. Some disasters might even cause massive loss of life. Since every component of an ecosystem is interrelated, when one is disturbed by human activity, the entire ecosystem is disturbed. Many activities undertaken by man become the main reasons for the disturbance in the ecosystem.

200 Words Essay On Man-Made Disaster

Change in the environment caused by the involvement of human or human-related activities is considered a man-made disaster. Man-made disasters are further classified into societal, transportation, and environmental disasters.

Societal Disasters

Certain societal disasters can arise due to people ignoring or failing to detect disasters, and their intentional inaction or negligence, which results in little to no preventative action. Even though humans cannot control everything, there are some anti-social behaviours and crimes committed by people or groups that a justifiable fear of harm or death can stop. For the authorities to look into or take action in dangerous situations, suspicious behaviour, or criminal intent, people frequently report these to the police. Examples of societal disasters are criminality, terrorism, war etc.

Transportation Disasters

Vehicle accidents involving air, rail, road, and sea transportation constitute transportation disasters. These mishaps are frequently too small to classify as disasters. However, there have been many instances where transportation mishaps have resulted in many fatalities. These incidents often happen as a result from natural disturbances, such as extremely foggy weather or icy roadways.

Environmental Disasters

Natural or environmental disasters are dangers that impact ecosystems or biomes rather than directly harming living things. Oil spills, water pollution, slash-and-burn deforestation, air pollution, and ground fissures are a few well-known examples.

Therefore, man-made disasters can have severe social and environmental impacts.

500 Words Essay On Man-Made Disaster

Man-made disasters, in contrast to natural disasters, are caused by human activity, whereas natural disasters are caused by natural forces. Man-made disasters can be small, like accidents on the road, or big such as war or explosion. Most of them can be controlled or prevented by knowing the correct way to deal with them.

The disaster management cycle is the best way to prepare for an unexpected event and to recover from it as early as possible. The cycle includes four steps – mitigation, planning, response, and recovery.

The impact of unavoidable disasters or the probability of a disaster occurring is eliminated or reduced by mitigation activities.

Some examples of mitigation activities are building codes, updated vulnerability studies, zoning and land use management, building use restrictions and safety requirements, preventative healthcare, and public awareness campaigns.

By enhancing the technological and managerial capabilities of governments, organisations, and communities, disaster preparedness programmes aim to reach a suitable degree of preparation to respond to any emergency.

These precautions can be thought of as logistical preparedness for disaster. They can be strengthened by having reaction processes and procedures, practising them, creating long and short-term strategies, educating the public, and constructing early warning systems.

Its main aim is to prioritise the population's basic requirements and give more long-lasting and durable solutions. The emergency response aims to deliver quick aid to keep people alive, enhance their health, and boost their spirits.

Such support could involve establishing a temporary settlement in camps and other places, or it could provide specialised but restricted aid, such as helping refugees with transportation, temporary housing, and food.

The affected people can carry out an increasing number of tasks targeted at restoring their life and the infrastructure supporting them as the emergency is under control. Examples include grants, short-term housing, and health treatment.

Other Ways To Prevent Disasters

By taking the following actions, man-made disasters can be greatly reduced-

People working in dangerous industries must have adequate training.

Adequate upkeep and maintenance of safety precautions.

Educating the general public about first aid procedures for accidents.

The health risks are reduced by covering the mouth and nose with a wet cloth in the event of gas leaks.

Remaining indoors in the event of a radiological disaster.

Ensuring that the people receive appropriate medical care.

Offering the impacted people sufficient financial and employment help.

Bhopal Gas Tragedy

The Bhopal Gas Tragedy, the worst industrial accident in history, happened on December 3, 1984, in Bhopal, India. Methyl Isocyanide (MIC) gas leaked from Union Carbide of India Ltd.'s factory, causing the Bhopal gas disaster. This chemical is the main component of pesticides.

A lethal cloud developed above Bhopal due to leakage from the factory. More than 5000 people died, half from direct contact with the chemicals and the other half through their aftereffects, with those living in the nearby slums being the most affected. MIC is a colourless gas and is fatal when inhaled directly because it produces extreme irritation, violent coughing, respiratory failure, haemorrhage, and death. More than 1000 persons also experienced eye loss as a result. More than 50,000 people experienced issues with their eyes, nose, stomach, nervous system, and ability to procreate.

Therefore, either directly or indirectly, man-made disasters will affect us and our environment. These effects can be avoided by taking a few preventative measures in advance.

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3 Sets of Man Made Disasters Essay in 150, 300 and 500 Words

Here, we are presenting long and short Man Made Disasters Essay In English for students under word limits of 100 – 150 Words, 200 – 250 words, and 400 – 500 words. This topic is useful for students of classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 in English. These provided essays will help you to write effective essays, paragraphs, and speeches.

Man Made Disasters Essay in 150 Words

Introduction:

Events brought on by human activity that seriously harm both the environment and human welfare are referred to as man-made disasters. These catastrophes are frequently the result of errors, carelessness, or malicious damage.

Types of Man-Made Disasters:

Industrial Accidents:

Chemical spills and nuclear accidents are examples of industrial disasters that can cause extensive pollution and seriously endanger the health of nearby communities.

Technological Failures:

Technological failures, such as cyberattacks or power grid breakdowns, can cause financial losses and disturb daily life.

Environmental Pollution:

Degradation of the environment and health issues are caused by industrial activities that release pollutants into the air, water, or soil, or by improper disposal of waste.

Consequences:

The effects of man-made disasters are extensive, affecting livelihoods, ecosystems, and the general well-being of society. Long-term recovery plans and intensive cleanup operations are frequently necessary.

Prevention and Preparedness:

Reducing the effects of man-made disasters requires pushing responsible behavior, putting safety precautions in place, and having strong emergency response plans.

Conclusion:

In order to promote a safer and more sustainable world, it is imperative that we comprehend the causes and effects of man-made disasters. It is up to us all to stop and deal with these catastrophes by making wise decisions and acting appropriately.

Man Made Disasters Essay in 250 Words

Disasters caused by humans that injure people, property, and the environment are known as man-made disasters. These catastrophes are not the same as natural disasters, which are brought on by forces of nature like floods or earthquakes. We shall examine a few prevalent categories of man-made disasters and their effects in this essay.

When something goes wrong in factories or other industries, industrial accidents occur. Hazardous chemical spills, explosions, and fires can have detrimental effects. These mishaps have the potential to affect not just the employees but also the ecosystems and local communities.

Nuclear Accidents:

Nuclear accidents happen when reactors in nuclear power plants malfunction or when radioactive materials are handled improperly. Radiation leaks can have catastrophic, long-lasting effects on both the environment and human health.

Transportation Accidents:

Man-made disasters can also arise from vehicle accidents, such as those involving ships, trains, and airplanes. Derailments, spills, and crashes can cause serious fatalities as well as environmental harm.

Impact of Man-Made Disasters:

Natural or man-made disasters can have far-reaching effects on ecosystems, economies, and communities. They frequently result in livelihood losses, population displacement, and infrastructure damage. Furthermore, there may be significant negative effects on the environment, including pollution and long-term harm to the ecosystem.

It is crucial to have stringent safety laws, appropriate worker training, and emergency response plans in place in order to prevent man-made disasters. It is also essential to educate and raise public awareness of the possible risks and safety precautions.

To sum up, man-made disasters are occurrences brought on by human activity and have the potential to cause immense harm to both people and the environment. Safety precautions, rules, and public awareness campaigns can help us reduce the frequency and severity of these catastrophes.

Source: monroecounty-fl.gov/

Man Made Disasters Essay in 500 Words

Disasters that are caused by human activity, carelessness, or error and injure people, property, and the environment are known as man-made disasters. Since man-made disasters can be prevented, unlike natural disasters like earthquakes or hurricanes, it is even more important for us to comprehend and take action against them.

Industrial accidents are one prevalent kind of man-made disaster. These happen when something goes wrong in a plant or a factory and has negative effects. For instance, a chemical spill or a factory fire can endanger the communities nearby, pollute the environment, and hurt animals.

Technological Accidents:

Failures in infrastructure or technology are associated with technological disasters. Consider transportation mishaps, power outages, or even cyberattacks. If these things aren’t handled correctly, they can ruin our everyday routines and bring about chaos.

One major man-made disaster affecting our planet is pollution. The ecosystem, wildlife, and people can all be negatively impacted by pollution from factories’ air, water, and soil, as well as from industrial waste.

Nuclear accidents happen infrequently but are extremely dangerous when they do. Nuclear power plant mishaps have the potential to release radioactive materials into the environment and harm people’s health over time.

Causes of Man-Made Disasters:

Human Error:

Human error is the root cause of many man-made disasters. Human error, whether due to a decision-making error, poor judgment, or insufficient training, can have dire repercussions.

Lack of Regulations:

There are times when disasters occur as a result of insufficient laws and regulations. Safeguards and supervision are essential in industries and technology to prevent mishaps.

Negligence:

Disasters can result from negligence or from failing to pay enough attention to safety precautions. Everyone should prioritize safety and accept accountability for their actions, from individuals to businesses.

Environmental Degradation:

Man-made disasters can occur when environmental health is neglected. Long-term harm is a result of resource overuse, pollution, and deforestation.

Human Health:

Human health is frequently directly impacted by man-made disasters. Accidents, pollution, and hazardous material exposure can all result in illnesses, injuries, and even fatalities.

Environmental Consequences:

The majority of man-made disasters affect the environment. It takes a long time for nature to recover, and ecosystems and wildlife are damaged.

Economic Loss:

Natural or man-made disasters can have a big financial impact. Businesses might be impacted, and cleaning and recovery could be very expensive.

Prevention and Mitigation:

Education and Awareness:

Man-made disaster risk can be decreased by responsible behavior and education about potential hazards to ourselves and others.

Strict Regulations:

Through the enforcement of stringent regulations and ensuring that industries and technologies adhere to safety standards, governments and authorities play a crucial role in averting disasters.

Investing in Technology:

Technological developments can assist in managing and preventing disasters. Risks can be reduced by better infrastructure, enhanced safety measures, and early warning systems.

Natural or man-made disasters serve as a sobering reminder of the value of caution and responsible behavior. We can all work together to create a safer and healthier world by being aware of their causes, effects, and preventative measures.

Also Read:  3 Sets of Essay On Durga Puja In English in 150, 300 and 500 Words

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August 2, 2013

10 min read

The Physics of Disaster: An Exploration of Train Derailments [Excerpt]

Understanding the science behind trains can help identify the causes of accidents—and lead us to safer railways

By George Bibel

From Train Wreck, The Forensics of Rail Disasters , by George Bibel. Copyright © The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012.

Believe it or not, it’s possible to derail a train by going too slow—more about that later.

Too fast on a curve

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In 1947, a Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train with 2 steam locomotives and 14 cars left Pittsburgh at 1:05 a.m. bound for New York City. The train had just descended a steep 1.73% grade when it over-turned on a sharp 8.5-degree curve (675-foot [205-m] radius) at 3:20 a.m. The speed limit downhill was 35 mph (56 km/h) and 30 mph (48 km/h) on the curve. Instructions required the train crew to test their brakes 2 miles (3.2 km) before the curve.

The 2 locomotives plunged down a 92-foot (28-m) embankment with 5 cars attached. Ten of the 14 cars derailed. Twenty-four people were killed. The investigators concluded that excess speed caused the train to overturn on the curve. The overturning speed was calculated to be 65 mph (105 km/h). Elsewhere in the news on the same day as the accident, the Pennsylvania Railroad, the largest railroad in America, reported operating losses for the year 1946—their first ever. Speeding trains overturning on a curve also occurred in California in 1956 (killing 30) and in Virginia in 1978 (killing 6).

Inertial loading

Everyone knows, or thinks they know, what centrifugal force is. It’s the phenomenon that flings passengers against the car door on a curve, the force that keeps the water in the bucket when swung fast enough overhead, and the force that derails trains on a curve. But centrifugal force can be a source of much confusion because it’s not a force in the traditional sense. Centrifugal force is an inertial effect that occurs when a body in motion changes direction, as in each of the examples above.

Per Isaac Newton, a body in motion tends to stay in motion. If somehow we could eliminate gravity and air resistance, a ball thrown straight up would continue straight up forever. It takes additional force to change the straight-line motion of the ball and to move a train around a curve.

Inertia, the property of matter that resists changes in motion, is most easily explained by accelerating in an elevator. If a 100-lb (0.44-kN) person is standing on a scale in an elevator accelerating up, the scale reads something higher than 100 lbs. If the elevator is accelerating down, the scale reads something less than 100 lbs. If the elevator is accelerating up at 16 ft/sec 2 , or one-half the normal acceleration of gravity, the scale will read 150 lbs (0.66 kN). The extra 50 lbs (0.22 kN) is from the person’s body resisting acceleration.

When a body accelerates, or changes velocity, that acceleration is accompanied by a force. According to Newton’s Second Law, f  m × a. The body’s inertia (m × a) is not a force even though it acts on the scale like a force. The additional 50-lb reading on the scale is the 100-lb person’s resistance to accelerating up 16 ft/sec 2 (4.9 m/s 2 )—the person’s inertia.

Inertia always acts in the opposite direction of the acceleration. In the case of the elevator, the person is accelerating up and the inertial response is acting down and is being recorded by the scale. A similar thing happens in circular motion. Circular motion at constant speed creates an acceleration that points toward the center of rotation.

We tend to think of acceleration as being a change in speed (see Chapter 4). Velocity is actually a vector with both direction and magnitude. (The velocity vector’s magnitude is also known as speed.) Any change in

the velocity vector, be it a change in speed or a change in direction, requires a force to create the change.

Consider a ball rolling along a straight line. One could constantly tap the ball with a stick, forcing it to move in a circular path. The tapping force, always pointing to the center, is changing the ball’s velocity vector’s direction. The ball is moving at a constant speed but changing direction; the ball is said to be accelerating toward the center of the circle.

Consider a 1-lb (0.45-kg) block rotating on the end of a 4-foot (1.2-m) string in a horizontal plane at a constant speed of 20 ft/sec (6 m/s). The direction of the velocity vector, always perpendicular to the string, is constantly changing and creating acceleration toward the center of rotation (Figure 7.1).

Acceleration for circular motion equals the velocity squared divided by the radius of the circle, or 100 ft/sec 2 (30.5 m/s 2 ). Per Newton’s Law, the string must exert a force on the block equal to m × a, or a force of 3.1 lbs (13.8 N) toward the center of rotation. (Recall that to correctly calculate f  m × a the weight must be converted into a mass by dividing by the acceleration of gravity—32.2 ft/sec 2 [9.8 m/s 2 ].) The force the string exerts on the block is called the centripetal, or center-seeking, force. The block exerts an inertial load on the string, keeping it tight. The so-called centrifugal force is not a force; it’s the block’s inertial resistance to the centripetal acceleration. The 1-lb (0.45-kg) block resists the acceleration imposed by the string just as the person in the elevator

Figure 7.2.

resists the upward acceleration. The term centrifugal force is incorrect. We will use the term centrifugal inertial loading. But, of course, the so-called centrifugal force feels like a force when holding on to the string attached to the rotating block.

A locomotive moving around a curve is similar to a rotating block on the end of a string. Both experience acceleration toward the center of rotation. The inertial loading keeps the string tight and creates a lateral force on the locomotive at the wheels. Lateral forces between the wheels and the rail must react against the centrifugal inertial loading to keep the train on the tracks.

If the centrifugal inertial loading is excessive, the locomotive begins to tip. The flange of the wheel catches on the rail and the locomotive starts to rotate, as shown in Figure 7.2. In fact, that’s why the flanges are on the inside of the wheels. If the flanges were on the outside, the slightest bit of wheel lift would slide the locomotive off the tracks.

In the 1947 Pennsylvania Railroad overturning accident, the locomotive weighed 320,000 lbs (145,150 kg). The centrifugal inertial loading of the locomotive moving at 88 ft/sec (60 mph [97km/h]) on a curve with a radius of 675 feet (206 m) is:

Horrible number photo

The centrifugal inertial loading is trying to tip the locomotive clock-wise about the pivot point (the bottom of the right wheel). This rotation is resisted by the weight of the locomotive (also acting through its center of gravity), which tries to rotate the locomotive counterclockwise.

The locomotive’s weight and inertial load both exert a torque. A torque is a twisting force applied to the end of a lever arm that tries to tighten a nut. A 10-lb (44.5-N) force on the end of a 9-inch (23-cm)-long wrench exerts a torque of 10 × 9 = 90 inch lbs of torque (10 Nm).

The Pennsylvania locomotive had a center of gravity 80 inches (2 m) above the rail. The centrifugal inertial loading tries to rotate the locomotive with a clockwise torque equal to 114,000 lbs × 80 inches—more than 9 million inch lbs of torque (6.3 × 106 Nm).

The lever arm for the locomotive’s weight is halfway between the rails, or 28 inches (0.7 m). The torque from the locomotive’s weight that tries to resist the overturning torque from the centrifugal inertial loading equals 320,000 lbs × 28 inches—almost 9 million inch lbs of torque.

The torque trying to overturn the locomotive is slightly larger than the torque from the locomotive’s weight resisting the overturning torque. The locomotive is just starting to overturn at 60 mph (97 km/h).

Superelevation

The outside rail on a curve is usually higher than the inside rail. The elevation of the outside rail relative to the inside rail is called superelevation.

A raised outside rail rotates a locomotive counterclockwise and helps fight off the clockwise rotation from the centrifugal inertial loading, at least a little bit. In fact, if the car is made top heavy and the right wheel is lifted enough (even at zero mph), eventually the car tips over counter-clockwise. The car tips over at zero mph when the weight load points outside the inner rail, as shown in Figure 7.3.

In 1947, the investigators concluded that the locomotive would over-turn on the curve (with outer rail raised or superelevated 3.5 inches [8.9 cm]) at 65 mph (105 km/h).

Amtrak’s 150-mph (241-km/h) Acela creates its own bank angle by tilting up to 4.2 degrees. If the Acela is operating on a curve whose out-side rail is raised 2 inches (5 cm), the Acela can speed as if it is on a curve that is raised an additional 7 inches (17.8 cm) higher—for a total super-elevation of 9 inches (22.9 cm).

Tilting trains are far more complicated and not the first choice of rail-road companies. It is easier to operate on redesigned curves with larger radiuses. Of course, curves with larger radiuses take up more real estate—difficult to do in older, built-up neighborhoods.

Too fast on a turnout

Far more common is moving too fast on a turnout. On a turn-out the track crosses over with sharp turns to merge onto a parallel track. The engineer must slow the train for the turnout or risk overturning. Just such an accident happened in 1951 in New Jersey, killing 84.

Construction of the New Jersey Turnpike required relocating the train tracks 60 feet (18 m) north for a few months. The temporary track was about 2,800 feet (853 m) long and contained a 57-foot (17.4-m) temporary wooden trestle anchored on both ends by massive concrete abutments. The trestle was also part of the turnout, a 121-foot (36.9-m)-long curve with a radius of about 1,100 feet (335 m).

The speed limit on the main track was 65 mph (105 km/h). The temporary track went into operation for the first time at one o’clock p.m. on the day of the accident, February 6, 1951. The speed limit on the turnouts and temporary track was 25 mph (40 km/h).

The rush hour train with 11 cars was particularly crowded with about 1,000 passengers, many standing. The locomotive and first seven cars derailed. The third and fourth cars were the most damaged. Those two cars struck the concrete abutment (knocking off a big hunk) and fell down the 25-foot (7.6-m) embankment. The third car crashed onto its side, its center sill broke, and the roof and both sides were badly damaged. The right side of the fourth car was torn open its entire length. The investigators concluded that the locomotive’s speed exceeded the calculated 76 mph (122 km/h) overturning speed.

Too fast on a curve is by no means an obsolete problem. In a nearly identical accident in Chicago on September 17, 2005, a commuter train went off the tracks at a turnout, killing two. The engineer missed the signal to slow from 70 to 10 mph (113 to 16 km/h).

Too fast on a curve should be prevented in the future by Positive Train Control (see Chapter 6).

Derailing on curves

Before reaching the overturning speed, a slow, heavy freight train is far more likely to derail on a curve by rail rollover, wide gage, or wheel climb (Figure 7.4).

The tracks are constantly moving around (and constantly being readjusted) because of settlement and train forces (Figure 7.5). The track spikes do not prevent the rails from overturning but do keep them from spreading. Rail overturning is thwarted by the downward wheel forces. If the wooden cross ties are rotted, inertial loading on curves may widen the rails.

Standards are established for maximum distance between rails (gage),

Figure 7.4 and 7.5

maximum dips in each rail (profile), and maximum deviation from straightness (alignment). Higher classes of track require tighter requirements to operate safely at higher speeds. For example, freight trains are limited to 40 mph (64 km/h) on Class 3 track and 60 mph (97 km/h) on Class 4 track. (The track classes are reviewed in Chapter 11.)Although track geometry today is measured automatically with high-speed cars using laser sensors, the standards are based on low-tech methods of measuring the deviation from a 62-foot (18.8-m) string pulled tight. Every 62 feet (18.8 m) of Class 3 track can deviate up to 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) from straight and dip up to 2.25 inches (5.7 cm). The Acela operates at 150 mph (241 km/h) on Class 8 track. Every 31 feet (9.4 m) of Class 8 track can deviate up to 0.5 inch (1.27 cm) from straight and dip up to 1 inch (2.54 cm).

Class 8 track geometry is checked every 30 days. In fact, when Amtrak was preparing to operate Acela at 150 mph, Amtrak’s chief engineer of maintenance, the director of track geometry, and many others rode the geometry car every two weeks for months. They considered it a bonding experience.

The operators will also report any rough or shifted track as it occurs. For all trains operating above 125 mph (201 km/h), at least one train per day has sensors to measure, quantify, and record the location of any rough track.

Concrete, instead of wood, is used for ties on Class 8 track. The concrete is less susceptible to shifting and water damage. At least once annually Class 8 track gage stability is checked with a special car that loads the rail sideways with a force of 10,000 lbs (44.5 kN). Class 8 track is also inspected twice a year with ultrasonic sensors for internal fatigue cracks.

The tendency to derail is often described by the L/V ratio, where L is the lateral force and V is the vertical force at the wheel-track interface, as shown in Figure 7.6. The higher the L/V ratio, the more likely the car is to derail.

There are rough guidelines for L/V limits. Wheel climb may occur if:

L/V greater than 1 for new freight cars with new wheels on new, straight track

L/V greater than 0.82 may be unstable on curves

L/V greater than 0.75 can be unstable for worn wheels and worn rail

L/V greater than 0.68 may overturn a poorly constrained rail

Rails spaced too close together can also encourage wheel climb.

The stated L/V ratios are merely rules of thumb, not rigid predictors. There are many other factors that interact, such as the condition of the trucks, rails, and wheels and whether or not the car body is bouncing on its suspension.

The L/V ratio can also vary greatly as the wheels and rail wear and as the contact location changes. A worn rail on the outside of a curve is

shown in Figure 7.7. Another wear pattern is shown in Figure 6.1 in Chapter 6.Acela Class 8 track must be checked annually with an instrumented car that measures the L/V ratios.3 Special load sensors are on the truck frame and on the floor of the car. If the L/V ratio exceeds 0.6, the speed must be reduced until repairs are made.

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P Chidambram on Balasore train accident: Man-made disaster

There is a long list of acts of omission and commission in the last nine years that contributed to the accident that has cost 275 lives and wrecked the lives of hundreds of families..

Since Friday, June 2, 2023, the most discussed issue in the country is the accident at Balasore involving three trains (two moving passenger trains and one stationary goods train). All facts concerning the accident point to one conclusion: it was a man-made disaster that was waiting to happen.

A suspicion has been sowed by the government that there were mischief-makers behind the tragedy. Maybe. If there were mischief, it was not the only one. Mischief means harm, damage, injury. There is a long list of acts of omission and commission in the last nine years that contributed to the accident that has cost 275 lives and wrecked the lives of hundreds of families.

Misplaced Priorities

1. On average, the Indian Railways (IR) carries 2.2 crore passengers a day, mostly people belonging to the poor and middle classes. Their travel is subsidised. However, except the subsidy, the IR is biased in favour of the rich. The result: priority for new trains over track maintenance and renewal; Vande Bharat and Tejas trains over capital expenditure on signaling and telecommunication; vanity projects (Bullet Train) over filling of the humongous number of vacancies in sanctioned posts; and speed over safety.

2. Of the total capital expenditure of Rs 1,39,245 crore in 2020-21, the amount spent on ‘Track Renewal’ was 8.6 per cent and on ‘Signaling and Telecommunication’ was 1.4 per cent, showing the low priority to matters that are crucial for safety. The percentages are estimated to be 7.2 per cent and 1.7 per cent in the Budget of 2023-24.

3. The IR has a Depreciation Reserve Fund for replacement and renewal of over-aged assets. The Fund had a meagre balance of Rs 585 crore on March 31, 2021. CAG observed “the amount is insignificant compared to the actual amount required.” Consequently, the value of assets to be replaced (called the ‘throw forward’) had soared to Rs 94,873 crore by the end of 2020-21, of which Rs 58,459 crore was on account of track renewal. The backlog in signaling and telecommunication works was Rs 1,801 crore. (CAG’s Report No.23, December 2022).

4. In April 2001, a Railway Safety Fund was created. Its scope was enlarged to include Safety Works. The source of funds was through transfer of the cess on diesel. At end of 2020-21, the Fund had a balance of only Rs 512 crore. Typical of the Modi government, another Fund called Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh was created in 2017-18 and was promised Rs 20,000 per year for 5 years. However, it received only Rs 20,000 crore in the four years between 2017 and 2021!

Forewarned 5. CAG submitted another report for the year ended March 2021 on December 21, 2022 (Report No.22). It was, prophetically, on ‘Derailment in Indian Railways’. After the introduction, the CAG observed, “Proper maintenance of the railway track is a pre-requisite for the train operation without accidents.” Track Recording Cars (TRC) are used for inspection. The shortfall in TRC inspections ranged from 30 per cent in one zonal railway to 100 per cent in four zonal railways. The CAG concluded that “the non-deployment of TRCs led to non-checking of track parameters having implications on overall safety of train operations including derailments.” The main causes were poor planning, idle track machines, vacancies in the work force and lack of training of Permanent Way staff.

6. In the Signal and Telecommunication department, the major constraint was ‘system/technological deficiencies’. Most serious accidents occurred due to collisions and Signal Passing At Danger (SPAD). SPAD was caused by violation of Rules, working beyond stipulated duty hours, defective vigilance control devices and absence of route learning of loco crew.

7. On February 9, 2023, the Principal Chief Operations Manager of S.W. Railway wrote a letter revealing a serious incident that had occurred on the previous day. He identified a serious flaw where the route of despatch got altered after a train had started on signals with correct route showing in the Station Master’s panel — a serious violation of the basic principles of inter-locking. He urged immediate steps to rectify the flaws in the signaling system. The Print, which reviewed the letter, reported that there was a dearth of gangmen, that station masters worked beyond 12 hours, and that 3,11,000 posts out of 14,75,623 Group C posts and 3,018 out of 18,881 gazetted cadre posts were vacant.

Gross Negligence 8. In 2011-12, IR had developed a Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS). In 2022, the Modi government renamed it as Kavach but there was little progress. IR has a total route length of 68,043 km but the system has been installed in just 1,445 km (2 per cent).

9. Railway finances are in a total mess. The merger of the Railway Budget with the General Budget has increased its opaqueness and sheltered it from scrutiny. A separate Commission of Inquiry must examine IR finances and recommend a path to recovery.

Mr Ashwini Vaishnaw joined the government on July 7, 2021. He is the Minister of Electronics and Information Technology (which he obviously enjoys); the Minister of Communications (which he may have forgotten); and the Minister of Railways (where, it is claimed, he has been ‘on the job’ since June 3, 2023) — better late than never. That India cannot afford or find a full-time minister to hold the Railway portfolio tells you the sad story of the Indian Railways.

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Essay on Natural And Man-Made Disasters

Students are often asked to write an essay on Natural And Man-Made Disasters in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Natural And Man-Made Disasters

What are disasters.

Disasters are terrible events that cause a lot of harm and suffering. They can be split into two types: natural and man-made. Natural disasters happen because of nature, like earthquakes or floods. Man-made disasters are caused by people, such as oil spills or wars.

Natural Disasters

Natural disasters come from the Earth or weather. These include storms, volcanic eruptions, and droughts. They can destroy homes and make it hard for people to get food and clean water. We can’t stop them, but we can get ready and try to stay safe.

Man-Made Disasters

Man-made disasters happen because of human actions. Examples are factory explosions, pollution, and fires that people start. These disasters can also ruin homes and hurt the environment. It’s important for us to be careful and prevent these events.

Staying Safe

To stay safe, we must learn about disasters and plan ahead. Families should have emergency kits and know where to go if a disaster happens. By being prepared, we can protect ourselves and help others in tough times.

250 Words Essay on Natural And Man-Made Disasters

Disasters are terrible events that cause a lot of harm and suffering. They can destroy homes, make people get hurt, or even cause them to lose their lives. These events can be grouped into two types: natural and man-made.

Natural disasters are caused by nature. This includes things like earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and volcanic eruptions. These events are powerful and can happen without warning. For example, an earthquake can shake the ground so much that buildings fall down. Floods can happen when there is too much rain and the water rises, covering the land.

On the other side, man-made disasters are caused by people’s actions. Pollution, wars, and accidents at places like factories or nuclear power plants are examples of this. For instance, if a factory does not handle dangerous chemicals the right way, it could cause a big explosion.

To stay safe, it is important for everyone to know about these disasters and how to act when they happen. Schools teach children what to do if a disaster strikes, like how to leave a building safely during an earthquake.

Working Together

After a disaster, people often come together to help those who are affected. They might give them food, clothes, or a place to stay. It shows that even after something bad happens, people can work together to make things better.

500 Words Essay on Natural And Man-Made Disasters

Understanding disasters.

A disaster is a sudden event that causes a lot of damage or loss of life. Disasters can be split into two main types: natural and man-made. Natural disasters are caused by nature, like earthquakes or floods. Man-made disasters are caused by human actions, like wars or oil spills.

Natural disasters come from the Earth or weather. Earthquakes shake the ground and can knock down buildings. Volcanoes can erupt and send out hot lava. Floods happen when too much rain falls and rivers overflow. Hurricanes are big storms with strong winds and heavy rain. These events can be scary and can hurt people and damage their homes.

Man-made disasters are different because people cause them. Pollution can make the air, water, or land dirty and unsafe. Chemical spills can harm people and animals. Nuclear accidents can release dangerous energy. Wars can destroy cities and hurt many people. These disasters often happen because of mistakes or bad choices.

Effects of Disasters

Disasters can change lives in many ways. People may lose their homes or loved ones. They might need to leave their town or country to be safe. After a disaster, food and water might be hard to find. People can also get sick from dirty water or not enough food. Disasters can make it hard for kids to go to school or for adults to work.

Preparation and Response

It’s important to be ready for disasters. Families can make plans for what to do if a disaster happens. They can have emergency kits with food, water, and medicine. Governments and groups can teach people how to stay safe during a disaster. After a disaster, help can come from many places. People can get medical help, food, and a place to stay. Workers can fix broken buildings and roads.

Learning from Disasters

After a disaster, people can learn how to do better next time. They can build stronger houses or better walls to stop floods. Scientists can study disasters to understand them more. This knowledge can help predict when a disaster might happen and warn people to be safe.

Disasters, whether natural or man-made, can be very difficult and sad. But by understanding and preparing for them, people can help each other and rebuild their lives. It’s important to learn from past disasters to make the future safer for everyone.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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A timeline of the world's worst rail disasters over the past decade, and what caused them

With more than 280 people killed and hundreds more injured in a passenger train collision in India , questions are again being raised about the safety of India's rail system, which carries more than 12 million people per day.

Friday's incident was India's worst in over two decades, officials said.

Rail accidents are far from rare across the globe, with lax regulations, ageing infrastructure and human error all playing their part in disasters that have killed hundreds of people.

Here are some of the worst rail disasters of the past 10 years, and what caused them.

Passenger train hits freight train in Greece

On February 28, 2023, a head-on collision between a freight train and a passenger train on the route between Athens and Thessaloniki claimed 57 lives, in the country's worst rail accident.

The collision was attributed by the Greek prime minister "mainly to human error", and sparked violent protests across the country demanding better rail standards.

Stowaways derailed in DR Congo

On March 10, 2022, a freight train loaded with stowaways derailed in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Lualaba province, killing at least 75 people and injuring 125 others.

The crash was reportedly attributed to the train's locomotive struggling to deal with a steep slope.

A month later, at least eight people died when a goods train derailed in the same area.

Track faulty in Pakistan farmlands

On June 7, 2021, at least 63 people died when a train hurtling through farmland derailed and collided with another passenger service in Ghotki, in Pakistan's southern Sindh province.

An initial investigation into the cause of the crash determined it was the result of a faulty welding joint in the tracks.

Truck slides onto tracks in Taiwan

On April 2, 2021, at least 51 people were killed and 200 injured when a passenger train collided with a truck that had slid down an embankment  near the city of Hualien — the island's worst rail disaster in decades.

The truck's emergency brake had not been properly engaged, causing the vehicle to slide about 20 metres down a hillside onto the track, where it was struck by the train minutes later.

Pakistan pilgrims die in gas fire

At least 74 people died and more than 40 were injured on October 31, 2019, when a fire broke out on an overcrowded passenger train carrying pilgrims to a religious gathering near Lahore.

The blaze was reportedly caused when some of the passengers tried to prepare breakfast on a gas cooking stove as the train was moving, in violation of railway rules.

Fireworks bring about 'freak accident'

A speeding train ran over revellers watching fireworks during a Hindu festival in northern India on October 19, 2018, killing at least 60 people and injuring at least 50.

Railways police said the "freak accident" happened when the sound of fireworks at the Dussehra festival, on the outskirts of Amritsar, made it impossible for people to hear the commuter train bearing down on them.

Track behind Indian Express disaster

At least 146 people died when an Indore-Patna Express train with around 2,000 people on board derailed  near Pukhrayan in Uttar Pradesh on November 20, 2016, sending carriages crashing into each other.

The impact was so strong that one of the coaches landed on top of another, crushing the one below.

Officials hinted a broken track may have been to blame for the disaster.

Spain crash followed high-speed approach

About 80 people were killed and about 140 injured when a high-speed train slammed into a concrete wall near the north-western city of Santiago de Compostela on July 24, 2013.

The train had been approaching a curve at more than twice the speed limit.

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What Can Be Done To Avoid Man-Made Disasters

A major plane crash, a bridge collapse or an oil spill — man-made disasters often share a common element: complacency. Managers who don't think things can go wrong, faulty technology and really bad luck can all lead to costly mishaps. But steps can be taken to try to prevent calamities before they happen.

William Reilly, co-chairman, BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling Commission James Bagian, chief patient safety officer, Veterans Health Administration Beverly Sauer, consultant in strategic risk communication

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Panaji, Jun 5 (PTI) Congress leader and South Goa Member of Parliament Fransisco Sardinha on Monday sought the resignation of Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw over the last week’s Odisha rail tragedy which claimed 275 lives and left more than 800 injured.

Addressing a press conference in Panaji, Sardinha blamed “human negligence” for the June 2 crash involving three trains near Bahanga Bazar station in Odisha’s Balasore.

“This train accident was a man-made disaster caused by utter negligence and serious lapses in the system. There seems to be no equipment in place to avoid accidents,” he said.

Sardinha said those responsible for the crash, said to the worst rail disaster in the country in decades, should not only face suspension, but also be sent to jail.

Their lethargic behaviour is responsible for the accident, said the Lok Sabha MP.

“If Prime Minister Narendra Modi is serious about taking action against the guilty, he should first sack Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Let him start action from him,” he added.

“The Railways Minister should resign. He has failed to put in place a system to avoid rail accidents,” said the Congress leader.

Sardinha demanded that the launch of new Vande Bharat Express trains be stopped till a robust safety system is put in place by the Railways.

“We don’t want more accidents and deaths. Speed limit of these trains should be reduced till equipment are installed to avoid accidents,” he added.

The Mumbai-Goa Vande Bharat Express flag-off event, which was scheduled for June 3, was cancelled following the Odisha train tragedy. PTI RPS RSY RSY

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A 100-Ton Locomotive With No One in the Cab

Railroad unions are raising safety concerns about the growing use of remote-controlled trains after a rash of fatal accidents.

By Frances Robles ,  Sergio Olmos ,  Mark Walker and Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs

Reporters traveled to Buffalo, Houston, Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Toledo, Ohio, to document the expanded use of remote trains.

One evening last June, as Esther Iradukunda set the table for dinner at her home in Buffalo, she heard a high-pitched cry through the kitchen window. She rushed outside and followed the screams to the train tracks that ran about 100 feet away from her house.

She found her young brother Aron lying on the tracks, run over when he chased a ball between the cars of a train that had suddenly begun to move. Now it was stopped again, but one of the boy’s legs was lodged underneath, the bone jutting through the skin, and he had grave wounds to his abdomen.

Ms. Iradukunda desperately pulled her brother clear just as the train began moving again, rolling slowly toward the CSX train yards about a quarter-mile away. Aron, now 10, survived but lost his right leg.

No one from the railroad had heard the boy’s screams or noticed him trapped on the tracks. The train had no conductor or engineer onboard; instead, its movement was being controlled by a remote operator who was not aboard the train and, under railroad protocols, could have been more than a half-mile away.

While trains have long presented a deadly risk to pedestrians, a recent rash of accidents involving remote-control locomotives like the one in Buffalo has prompted a new federal review of the technology long billed by the railroad industry as safer than conventional trains. Railroad unions have also lodged demands to step up safety measures as the trains increasingly operate on open tracks outside the confines of a rail yard.

BAILEY AVE.

WALDEN AVE.

Jun. 28, 2023 at 5:17 pm,

Train struck a pedestrian

on the tracks

Transportation

Frontier Yard

Feb. 16, 2024

Woman found dead.

Goodyear Ave.

Gatchell St.

CSX freight

railroad lines

Niagara River

Only a few months after Aron was hit, the body of a woman who lived nearby was found in pieces along the same tracks, in a remarkably similar accident.

A railroad inspector in Ohio was killed in September when he stepped into the path of a remote-controlled locomotive. He was the third rail inspector since 2015 to die after being struck by a remote locomotive.

In Houston last year, an intoxicated man was found dead, with his leg severed, in an area where remote locomotives were in use. Two years earlier, a woman in the same part of Houston lost both her legs after trying to cross between cars of a remote train that began moving.

Railroads are significantly expanding their remote operations, part of a cost-cutting effort that has seen the railroad industry cut its work force by nearly a third and shift to longer and heavier trains. The companies now routinely operate remote trains not just inside rail yards, as initially envisioned when they debuted two decades ago, but also between them. Many now run through residential and commercial neighborhoods, sometimes carrying hazardous cargo such as petroleum or hydrochloric acid.

In the area of Buffalo where the boy was struck, remote trains run near dozens of houses, a neighborhood park and an elementary school. The railroad warns residents to use the pedestrian overpass, but it is nearly a quarter-mile away from Ms. Iradukunda’s house.

Union Pacific, which has made a significant push to expand its remote operations in various cities across the United States, now sometimes runs remote trains of up to 160 cars — 1.5 miles long, about three times longer than the Federal Railroad Administration recommends in its 2007 safety guidelines for such trains, and eight times more than the guidance the agency set two years earlier.

“We have seen an aggressive approach by Union Pacific to take remote controls outside the protected environment, using them outside the yard environment,” said Mark Wallace, first vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, which has complained that the expansion of remote trains is replacing highly trained engineers with less-trained remote-control operators and creating safety hazards.

“If they are going to continue to do this, there’s not going to be a sign up that says, ‘remote-control operation in use,’” he added. “Nobody would know that the engine is unoccupied.”

For the railroads, accidents like the one in Buffalo are tragedies, but are the fault of trespassers who make the dangerous decision to cross between the cars of a stalled train on private property.

“A locomotive is a massive piece of equipment,” said Kristen South, a spokeswoman for Union Pacific. “That pedestrian is going to be hurt whether it’s a remote or conventional locomotive. They wouldn’t be able to stop.”

The move to remote operations

Remote-control locomotives are not autonomous like a self-driving car, but they do lack the highly trained engineer who sits high in the cab at the front of the locomotive on traditional trains, scanning the track ahead.

Instead, the train is most often controlled by a single remote-control operator who may or may not be aboard, running the engine, brakes and other mechanisms from a body-worn remote-control device that is connected to the locomotive by a computer. In some cases, a second operator may also help guide the train.

Unlike Teslas or other automated cars, which have various onboard cameras and navigation sensors, remote trains have no such equipment — they depend on what the operator can see from wherever they are standing.

“With remote-control operations, it’s just that: There’s no requirement to have the person in the cabin of the locomotive,” said John Esterly, a union leader in Ohio. “They may be on another end of the locomotive. They may be 1,000 feet away controlling it from the other end. That’s the fundamental difference with remote trains: that lack of a set of eyes in the cab.”

In some cases, the remote operator is not on the train at all. In operations within a rail yard or very near one, there are special protocols in place, and the remote operator may be standing as far as several thousand feet from the train. In these designated “remote control zones,” there is no requirement that the person piloting the train have a view of the tracks ahead.

These zones can stretch for several miles, documents show. It was in one of these areas that the train in Buffalo was operating when it hit the boy — and no one was onboard.

On the longer trips that remote trains increasingly are taking, a remote operator must be onboard, but not necessarily in the cab: The person often hangs somewhere on the side of the train. Rail workers complain that in these cases, they sometimes have poor visibility of the tracks ahead, or of the other side of the train.

Still, there are built-in safeguards.

If there is no input from the controller after a certain period of time — for example, if the controller has fallen off the train or tripped — the train will automatically come to a stop. Trains operating in the designated remote zones have sensors on the tracks, known as “pucks,” that automatically stop the train at certain points if an operator has not already done so.

Railroad managers say that remote trains have a safety record better than traditional trains and that an operator standing alongside the tracks can respond to problems more quickly.

“Now, me, I, control everything. There is no communication issue between me and somebody else not understanding what’s going on,” said Shane Keller, senior vice president of Union Pacific’s northern operations. “I control the switches and I control that locomotive, and in both cases, if something goes wrong, the default is stop.”

At a rail yard in Iowa just outside Union Pacific’s Omaha headquarters, Steve Pihlgren, a remote-control operator who has worked at the railroad for 18 years, demonstrated how he controlled engine speed, air flow and brakes from a 3.5-pound pack on his waist. He said he or a helper always had eyes on the area in the path of the train.

“ Everyone focuses on safety,” he said.

An often-cited 2004 report to Congress found that remote locomotive accident rates were 13.5 percent lower than conventional trains, while employee injuries were 57 percent lower.

Just four of 4,498 railroad fatalities in the past five years were attributed to remote trains, according to the Association of American Railroads, an industry group. It documented 97 injuries associated with the trains during that period, not all of them a direct result of remote technology.

But the existing studies were conducted largely before the widespread expansion of remote trains over the past decade outside the confines of rail yards, where the potential for conflicts with pedestrians, motorists and bicyclists is much higher.

And the way remote train accidents are reported to the federal government can be spotty. A New York Times review of accident records found several recent incidents of remote train injuries that had been misattributed to conventional trains, suggesting that the number of remote train accidents may be undercounted.

Injuries to pedestrians who trespass onto tracks are generally considered to be the fault of the pedestrian, not the railroad, and often little is known about them. Trespassing-related accidents are often investigated by railroad police departments, which are given police powers by states to conduct investigations and make arrests. Local law enforcement agencies usually defer to them when an accident is outside a public crossing, meaning it is the railroad that usually determines what caused an accident.

Because of limited resources, the Federal Railroad Administration, or the F.R.A., investigates only the most serious train accidents, about 100 of the thousands that happen every year; in a relatively few cases, the National Transportation Safety Board steps in.

“Who is watching the hen house? Well, the fox is,” said Brittney Kohler, the legislative director for transportation for the National League of Cities. “It’s very much a potential technology that could help with safety of some operations, but it needs to be proven safe and not tossed into these environments without appropriate research.”

After the latest accidents, the F.R.A. last fall directed its Railroad Safety Advisory Committee to examine the safety of remote locomotives and to develop policy recommendations to make remote operations safer. Railroad officials say they are confident that no significant problems will be found.

“As the Rail Safety Advisory Committee again reviews the use of R.C.L. technology, railroads are confident that the data will show what it always has,” said Jessica Kahanek, a spokeswoman for the Association of American Railroads, a group that represents the freight train industry. “Remote locomotives are just as safe as conventional ones.”

Greater distances and longer trains

In Houston, remote trains now traverse a mile-long section of the eastern part of the city, past family-run restaurants, bodegas, industrial warehouses and a school bus depot.

The International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, a union that represents remote-control operators, said remote locomotives are used on about six miles of track in Detroit and three miles in Toledo, Ohio. In Columbus, Ohio, a one-mile-long route is routinely staffed by a single crew member. In Tulsa, Okla., a two-person remote team handles trains along a 10-mile route.

In March, a Union Pacific locomotive operated by a single remote crew member hauled 128 cars, including 62 that were carrying hazardous materials, in Texas from Angleton to Freeport — a distance of 19 miles, according to documents obtained by The New York Times. The route traverses several communities and includes 18 train crossings, five of them with no gates.

Union Pacific said the route complies with federal regulations and includes less than a mile of mainline track, with most of the journey conducted on a slower industrial track, which operates much like a rail yard.

Federal guidance released in 2007 advised that remote trains be limited to 3,000 feet in length, traveling at less than 15 miles per hour on routes of less than half a mile and on flat ground. While that guidance still applies, there is no regulatory limit on the number of train cars being hauled by a remote locomotive, said Warren Flatau, a spokesman for the F.R.A.

“I would say that was the guidance at the time, and the railroads have been pushing the limits of the guidance,” Mr. Flatau said. “We are scrutinizing remote-control operations more closely, because there have been several accidents involving them.”

Union officials are calling for the new safety review to take into account the much longer distances the trains are now traveling in public areas between rail yards.

The railroads have declined to specify how far they are running remote trains outside the confines of rail yards. Christian Holt, director of the F.R.A.’s operating practices division, acknowledged that even the agency has no reliable reporting on this question.

“We heard 20 miles,” he said. “We are trying to figure out how far they are going. I don’t know. We heard 50 miles, but we have not witnessed that.”

The engineers’ union, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, has a stake in pushing for the safety review, as the increased use of remote trains means that engineers are replaced by lower-paid and less-trained remote operators.

The remote operators union, the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, contends that remote technology is safe, but that railroads are cutting too many jobs, leaving many trains to be operated by a single remote operator, known as an R.C.O., handling a job that should be done by two or three people.

“If you look at the safety data, it’s better than the traditional or conventional way of operations. To blatantly say they are more dangerous is not true,” said Jared Cassity, the union’s national safety director.

“That said, the railroads do try to cut corners and cheat the game. They put the R.C.O. in circumstances that could make it more dangerous.”

The Biden administration in April adopted new rules requiring two-person crews on all freight trains. But the rules specifically exempt remote operations because other safety regulations already address that type of train, the Department of Transportation said.

A rash of accidents

Regardless of how many employees are onboard a train, railroad officials say, accidents like the ones in Buffalo cannot be prevented if people trespass onto private property by squeezing under the cars of a stationary train.

Three employees were operating the remote train involved in the accident involving the boy in Buffalo, though none of them were actually onboard, CSX officials said.

They said video footage confirmed that the boy was not struck by the locomotive nor by any cars near the front of the train.

“There could have been 20 people on the train, and they would not have seen the boy,” said Bryan Tucker, CSX’s vice president of stakeholder engagement and sustainability. “You can’t see behind you in the cab of the locomotive.”

But several experienced rail workers said in interviews that if an engineer had been assigned to the train, that person would most likely have surveyed the area around the train before restarting.

Ms. Iradukunda, the sister of the boy in the Buffalo accident, noted that she could hear her brother’s cries from inside the house, and yet no one from the railroad emerged to investigate, nor did anyone prevent the train from getting underway again just seconds after she pulled her brother out from underneath it.

“If I was late — if I did not go there in two minutes — it could have gone over him,” she said. “And that would be the end of his story.”

It was the death of a railroad employee in Ohio in September, coming on the heels of the other accidents, that prompted the F.R.A. to issue a safety bulletin and open a full review of remote operations, the agency said.

In that case, Frederick M. Anderson, 56, a CSX mechanical department inspector who had been on the job for 20 years, was working an overnight shift at a yard near Toledo when he did what he had done hundreds, maybe thousands, of times: He stepped across the railroad tracks.

He had parked his truck and walked across multiple tracks when he was hit by a remote-operated locomotive, according to documents from the National Transportation Safety Board.

The train, which consisted of two locomotives, was traveling at 10 miles per hour. The operator who controlled it was riding in the back on the opposite side, where he could not see the front of the train.

It was not until a few minutes later that a co-worker saw Mr. Anderson’s body, cut in two.

The N.T.S.B. is still investigating the accident, and CSX declined to comment because of the pending investigation. Police records show that one of the employees questioned by officers said that the remote train was going faster than usual.

Although the accident may ultimately be blamed on Mr. Anderson for stepping onto the tracks, several of his co-workers and others in the industry said that even simple steps such as requiring the use of sensors and cameras for remote operations — equipment that is standard in many newer automobiles — could improve safety.

“How are you driving something that I assume weighs several tons by remote control and you don’t even have a camera at the front of it to see what you are doing?” Mr. Anderson’s brother, Jerry Anderson, said in a telephone interview. “A freak accident happens one time and one time only. For this to happen this many times, and for them to continue to go on, is unacceptable.”

Don Grissom, vice president of the Transportation Communications Union, which represents rail inspectors, said that although a conventional train probably could not have stopped in time, Mr. Anderson could have been saved with a warning from an engineer or technology such as beeping sensors.

“If there was a locomotive engineer onboard, and if he saw him, he could have rang the bell and blown the horn,” Mr. Grissom said. “He’d have jumped out of the way.”

Relatives of the second person struck by a remote train in Buffalo last year said they were stunned to learn that no one was onboard and could not help but think it might have made a difference.

Tyrina Mozee, 47, who died in February just a few blocks from where the boy was hit, had also tried to move between the cars of a remote-control train that began moving, according to CSX officials.

The locomotive and the dozen or so cars it was pulling ran over her several times, back and forth, a situation that would most likely have been avoided had an engineer been sitting in the cab, said James P. Louis, the engineers union’s national vice president, based in Buffalo.

Arnette Booker, Ms. Mozee’s aunt, said she was furious to find that there were no warnings that remote trains with no conductor or engineer onboard were passing through the residential neighborhood.

“There’s no gate. There’s no sign saying ‘no trespassing,’ no sign saying ‘Danger! Don’t come on the tracks.’ There’s no warning at all,” Ms. Booker said. “This is a residential neighborhood where children live and play.”

Frances Robles is a Times investigative reporter covering the United States and Latin America. She has been a journalist for more than 30 years. More about Frances Robles

Mark Walker is an investigative reporter focused on transportation. He is based in Washington. More about Mark Walker

Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs reports on national stories across the United States with a focus on criminal justice. He is from upstate New York. More about Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs