'Railways totally parentless': Mamata alleges Centre keen on only increasing fares

Alleging that the railways have become "totally parentless", West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday claimed that it was only keen on increasing fares and not improving passenger amenities.

Banerjee was speaking to the press at the Kolkata airport on the way to Siliguri to take stock of the situation following the train accident near Rangapani in which several people were killed.

"The railways have become totally parentless. Though the ministry is there, the old glory is missing. Only beautification is being done, but they do not care about passenger amenities. They are only keen on hiking fares," she claimed.

"You will only see them talk big. They also do not take care of the railway officers, technical, safety, and security personnel. I am with the railway employees and officers," she added.

She criticised the Railway Ministry, alleging that it was not implementing the anti-collision system properly, which could reduce the impact of such accidents. "The number of train accidents has gone up. Accidents are not in anyone's control, this is a fact. But, the railways is not implementing the anti-collision system properly," she said.