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Recent accident in Punjab involving ‘head on’ collisions between two trains, which Indian Railways regret, has once again raised questions about safety efforts of Indian Railways. It would, therefore, be appropriate to clarify that this is one of the freak cases, wherein staff concerned, prima facie, failed to observe meticulous drill, during failure of equipment, prescribed to ensure safe train operation.
In recent years, Railways have upgraded technology and inducted new technology in a number of areas. As a result, accidents have come down substantially over the years. As against 1393 accidents per year, accidents in 2003-04 were 325. This has further come down to 156 in April to November, 2004 against 235 in the corresponding period of 2003 representing a reduction of 33.62 per cent.
In addition to technological aids to prevent staff committing mistakes, emphasis on training and use of simulators to train drivers, accidents due to failure of Railway staff have come down from over 67 per cent in 1990s to just about 50 per cent in 2003-04.
Accidents per million train kilometers, a composite index of safety used the world over has gone down from 5.5 in 1960-61 to just about 0.39 in the last year i.e. 2003-04 which is comparable with indices 0.65 to .91 on developed railways of the world.
A comprehensive Corporate Safety Plan (2003-2013) aiming to bring down substantially incidents of accidents is under way with the broad objective of bringing down accidents per million train kilometres to 0.17, reduce chances of passenger fatalities, reduce accidents attributable to human failure by 40 per cent, eliminate collisions, bring down derailments by 60% and fire accident by 80 per cent by 2013.
Important technical aids introduced in the recent past :
Upgradation of signalling systems. So far 3200 stations provided with panel interlocking/Route Relay Interlocking/colour light signalling. Work at 1200 Stations in progress.
388 Stations having central panels, have been provided Block Proving with Axle Counter to automatically check complete arrival of train before line clear is given to the subsequent train.
Track circuiting provided at 20,000 locations. Work at 5000 more in progress.
Anti Collision Device (ACD) is being installed on Northeast Frontier Railway as pilot project and is sanctioned on further 1750 kilometres on Northern Railway, Southern Railway, South Central Railway and South Western Railway. Survey is in progress over another 10,000 kilometres. ACD will be provided on the entire Broad Gauge network in the next five years to eliminate collisions totally.
Auxiliary Warning System, having capability of automatic application of brakes in case driver fails to respond to a signal at danger, is available over entire suburban sections of Mumbai.
40,000 kilometres of ground cables provided for block working and control communication.
Track standards have been upgraded and 51,000 track kilometers on BG have been laid on concrete sleepers and 47,600 kilometres is with LWR eliminating fish plates.
3450 bridges have been rebuilt/rehabilitated in last three years.
27,000 coaches and 140,000 wagons provided with modern air brake system.
Locomotives fitted with improved vigilance control device, automatic flasher lights, twine beam headlights and micro-processor control speed recorders.
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