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Rail Safety in India
Context:
Recently a collision between the Kanchanjunga Express and a container freight train near New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, resulted in the deaths of at least 9 people and injuries to 25 others.
Rail Accidents in India:
- Railway accidents in India are a significant concern due to the high volume of passengers and the complexity of the railway network.
- Type of Accident
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- Collision: A train to train collision can occur on the running line or within yards and sidings. Ex-Triple Train Collision (June 2, 2023) in Balasore, Odisha, Collision involving the Coromandel Express, a goods train, and the Yesvantpur Superfast Express due to lapses at multiple levels and negligence of duty by railway employees.
- Derailment: Bikaner-Guwahati Express (January 13, 2022) in Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal: 12 coaches derailed due to failure of equipment (locomotive).
- Fire on the train: In July 2023, three coaches of the Falaknuma Express to Howrah caught fire between Bommaipally and Pagidipally in Telangana.
- Primary Reasons Behind Railway Accidents
- Infrastructure Defects: Poor Maintenance and Ageing: Vandalism, Sabotage, and Natural Disasters, Lack of Upgrades,Overcapacity.
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- Human Errors: Fatigue and Negligence, Corruption and Safety Violations, Inadequate Training.
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- Signalling Failures: due to technical glitches, power outages, or human errors.
- Outdated Infrastructure and Rolling Stock: Newer Linke Hoffmann Busch (LHB) coaches offer better shock absorption and derailment prevention.
Key Initiatives and Achievements in Railway Safety :
- Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS): It is being developed indigenously by the Research Designs & Standards Organization (RDSO).
- TCAS Features:
- Prevention of Signal Passing at Danger (SPAD) and collision.
- Display of approaching signal aspect in the cabin
- Prevention of overspeeding and automatic whistle at level crossing gates
- SOS messages and centralised real-time monitoring of TCAS train movements in NMS
- Secured communication between Loco TCAS and stationary TCAS, including train length computation.
- Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK): Introduced in 2017-18 with ₹1 lakh crore for five years.Extended till 2027-28 with ₹45,000 crores for another five years.
- Signalling Enhancements: Electrical/Electronic Interlocking at 6498 stations.
- Vigilance Control Devices (VCD) in all locomotives.
- Oscillation Monitoring System (OMS) and Track Recording Cars (TRC).
- Safety of Coaches and Wagons: Replacement of Integral Coach Factory (ICF) coaches with Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) design.
- Fire detection and suppression systems in coaches.
- Elimination of Unmanned Level Crossings.
- Bridge Safety: Regular inspection and repair/rehabilitation of bridges.
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KAVACH:
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Key Railway safety committees and initiatives taken by Government:
- Railway Safety Review Committee (Khanna Committee):
- Committee was set up in 1998 under the Chairmanship of Justice H.R. Khanna.
- Key recommendations included upgrading critical safety assets, improving track maintenance, and enhancing management practices.
- Bibek Debroy Committee: The Railway Board had constituted a Committee for mobilisation of resources for major railway projects and restructuring of Railway Ministry and Railway Board.
- Setting Up a Railway Safety Authority, Separating the railway budget from the general budget,Outsourcing non-core activities, Establishing a Railway Infrastructure Authority of India.
- Anil Kakodkar Committee (2012):
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- Committee was set up in 2012 to review the railway safety measures and suggest improvements. Key recommendation were:
- Strengthening Safety Training for Railway Personnel, Establishing a Statutory Railway Safety Authority, Improving Track Infrastructure and Signalling Systems, Implementing Preventive Maintenance Practices.
Way Forward:
- Implement advanced safety technologies like the KAVACH system nationwide.
- Enforce rigorous safety protocols and audits.
- Modernise railway infrastructure promptly.
- Conduct regular training to enhance operational safety.
National Rail Plan Vision – 2030:
- Indian Railways has prepared the plan, aimed at establishing a ‘future-ready’ railway system by 2030.
- Plan aims to boost the modal share of Railways in freight to 45% by formulating strategies and Creating capacity ahead of demand up to 2050.