TAMILNADU TRAIN ACCIDENT

Chennai, Oct 12 (PTI) - Efforts to restore the railway lines at Kavaraipettai, where the Mysuru-Darbhanga Bagmati Express derailed after colliding with a goods train on the night of Oct 11, have been stepped up. The railway announced on Saturday that the section, which includes four lines, is expected to be operational by the early morning of October 13.

Railway authorities are working diligently to complete the repairs and resume rail services in the affected section.

Under the guidance of senior Southern Railway officials, the Commissioner of Railway Safety for the Southern Circle in Bengaluru, A M Chowdhary, began a detailed inspection of the tracks, junction points, blocks, signals, station electronic interlocking systems, control panels, and other critical safety, signaling, and operational components, stated M Senthamil Selvan, Chief Public Relations Officer of Southern Railway, in a press release.

Train No 12578, the Mysuru-Darbhanga Bagmati Express, crashed into a stationary goods train at Kavaraipettai at approximately 8:30 pm on October 11, leading to a derailment. Following the incident, Southern Railway and the Tamil Nadu government quickly mobilized to extinguish a fire in one of the coaches and rescue the passengers.

The affected passengers were ferried by bus to Ponneri and subsequently taken to Chennai Central on two special EMU trains. Earlier in the day, over 1,800 passengers from the derailed train departed for their various destinations and towards Darbhanga on a special train from the Central Railway Station.

What are the Primary Reasons behind Railway Accidents?

• Infrastructure Defects: The railway infrastructure, encompassing tracks, bridges, overhead wires, and rolling stock, frequently suffers from defects due to inadequate maintenance, aging, vandalism, sabotage, or natural disasters. A significant portion of this infrastructure, constructed in the 19th and 20th centuries, has not been modernized to accommodate increasing demand and contemporary standards. Additionally, the railway system is plagued by financial shortages, corruption, and inefficiency, all of which impede its progress and upkeep. Furthermore, numerous routes are operating beyond full capacity, heightening the likelihood of accidents caused by congestion and overloading.

• Human errors among railway staff, tasked with operating, maintaining, and managing trains and tracks, can arise from fatigue, negligence, corruption, or a disregard for safety protocols. These errors may lead to incorrect signaling, miscommunication, speeding, or missed detection of defects and hazards. Additionally, insufficient training and poor communication skills can impair their performance and coordination.

• Signalling failures, which affect the system that governs train movement and direction, can arise from technical issues, power disruptions, or human mistakes. These failures may result in trains deviating onto incorrect tracks, colliding with other trains or objects, or missing stations. For instance, the recent train mishap in Odisha was attributed to an improperly communicated alteration in the electronic interlocking system to the drivers.

• Unmanned level crossings (UMLCs) are intersections where railway tracks and roads converge without barriers or signals to manage the traffic.

What should be Done More to Enhance Safety in India?

• Invest more in safety-related works: Allocate additional funds for track renewal, bridge repair, signaling upgrades, coach refurbishment, etc.

• To reduce human errors, it is essential to conduct regular and thorough training for railway staff, encompassing the latest technologies, equipment, systems, and safety protocols.

• To eliminate level crossings, the construction of Road Over Bridges (ROBs) or Road Under Bridges (RUBs) is proposed to replace both unmanned and manned crossings.

• Adopt advanced technologies: Install anti-collision devices (ACDs) such as Kavach/ Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), Train Protection Warning System (TPWS), Automatic Train Control (ATC), etc.

  • The railways are in the process of installing these technologies on some sections of tracks, but they need to be expanded to cover the entire network.

• Introduce Performance-Linked Incentives: Reward the railway staff based on their performance and compliance with the safety rules and procedures.

• Outsource Non-Core Work: Transfer the non-core activities such as maintaining hospitals, colleges etc to private or public sector entities, which can improve efficiency and reduce costs.

• Create A Statutory Railway Safety Authority: Set up a railway safety authority as a statutory body with powers to frame safety standards, conduct safety audits and inspections, enforce accountability and penalties for lapses, and investigate accidents.

• Conduct Regular Safety Audits and Inspections: Monitor, evaluate and audit the safety performance of the railway staff, infrastructure and equipment, and enforce strict accountability and penalties for lapses.

• Enhance Coordination and Communication: Improve the communication and coordination among the railway board, zonal railways, divisions, production units, research organizations, etc., which are involved in railway operations.

• Implementing a Confidential Incident Reporting and Analysis System (CIRAS), originally developed by a British university, could be beneficial. This system would enable lower-level staff to report issues confidentially and in real-time.

  • It is crucial that this system is backed by the necessary communication and information technology infrastructure to be accessible and user-friendly for all staff members.

  • Additionally, there is a need to shift the management mindset from one of fault-finding and punishment to a culture of shared safety commitment. This shift should prioritize corrective actions over punitive measures and actively engage with staff feedback at all levels.

  • Railway safety requires an attitudinal shift from the traditional fault-finding and punitive approach to a collective commitment to ensuring safety at every level..

• Rethink Indian Railways Management Service (IRMS) Scheme: Conduct a thorough evaluation of the IRMS scheme and its impact on loyalty, ownership, and safety management. Consider revising or modifying the scheme to preserve a sense of specialization and loyalty towards specific disciplines or departments, promoting a stronger commitment to safety.