We’ve all seen pics of ridiculously overcrowded passenger cars and chaotic railway stations. They leave me with the impression that safety isn’t a huge concern among Indian railway operators, regulators, or even passengers.
Granted, those photos are probably extremes that don’t represent the norm, but the impression remains (unfair though it may be).
Your impression isn’t super far off from the reality of the state of railways in India, but the central (federal) government there has been making substantial investments into the train systems. It’s just that this particular region has long been known for being marginalized and neglected when it comes to infrastructure development and funding in general.
Yeah, I mean the article seems to suggest that while overriding the automated signalling is prohibited it happens regularly. It sounds to me like a culture change is needed, hopefully this crash is enough to spur that into existence although it won’t be easy or quick.