Lok Sabha Question No. 919 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-20
Subject: Train Accidents
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: BHAGWANTH KHUBA, ASHWINI KUMAR, B. SREERAMULU, Tejpratap Singh,Yadav, SUKENDER REDDY GUTHA, SUPRIYA SADANAND SULE, SISIR KUMAR ADHIKARI, SHASHI THAROOR, HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT, RAMEN DEKA, NISHIKANT  DUBEY, KUNWAR PUSHPENDRA SINGH CHANDEL, RAMA DEVI, RAVINDRA VISHWANATH GAIKWAD, RODMAL NAGAR, JANARDAN MISHRA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 919 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.12.2017

## TRAIN ACCIDENTS

919.  SHRI BHAGWANTH KHUBA: SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR: SHRI B. SRIRAMULU: SHRI TEJ PRATAP SINGH YADAV: SHRI GUTHA SUKENDER REDDY: SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB: SHRI VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT: SHRI ANTO ANTONY: SHRI MALLIKARJUN KHARGE: DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE: SHRI NARANBHAI KACHHADIYA: SHRI ASADUDDIN OWAISI: SHRI AJAY MISRA TENI: SHRI D.K. SURESH: SHRI RAHUL SHEWALE: SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR: SHRI PRALHAD JOSHI: SHRI JITENDRA CHAUDHURY: SHRI JYOTIRADITYA M. SCINDIA: SHRI K. ASHOK KUMAR: SHRI A.P. JITHENDER REDDY: SHRI KALIKESH N. SINGH DEO: SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA: SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE: SHRIMATI ANJU BALA: SHRI ASHOK SHANKARRAO CHAVAN: SHRI P.R. SUNDARAM: SHRI BADRUDDIN AJMAL: SHRI T. RADHAKRISHNAN: SHRI S.R. VIJAYAKUMAR: DR. BOORA NARSAIAH GOUD: SHRI MOHITE PATIL VIJAYSINH SHANKARRAO: SHRI SATAV RAJEEV:

- (a)

DR. J. JAYAVARDHAN:

SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE:

SHRI SISIR KUMAR ADHIKARI:

DR. SHASHI THAROOR:

DR. HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT:

SHRI RAMEN DEKA:

SHRI NISHIKANT DUBEY:

SHRI KUNWAR PUSHPENDRA SINGH CHANDEL:

SHRIMATI RAMA DEVI:

PROF. RAVINDRA VISHWANATH GAIKWAD:

SHRI NAGAR RODMAL:

SHRI JANARDAN MISHRA:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the number of rail accidents have increased across the  country  during  the  current  year  as  compared  to  the previous years;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof,  zone/State-wise  and  the  reasons therefor along with the number of passengers killed/injured in such accidents during the said period;
- (c) the  mechanism  put  in  place  by  the  Government  to  ensure payment  of  compensation  within  the  stipulated  time  to  the injured  and  the  next  of  kin  of  the  deceased  after  such accidents;
- (d) whether the Government has conducted any inquiry in such accidents;
- (e) if so, the details and outcome thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (f) the other steps taken/being taken by the Government to keep a check on rail accidents across the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## (SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)

- to  (f):  A Statement is laid on the Table of the House. *****

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (f)  OF UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO  919  BY  SHRI  BHAGWANTH  KHUBA, SHRI  ASHWINI  KUMAR,  SHRI  B.  SRIRAMULU,  SHRI  TEJ  PRATAP SINGH YADAV, SHRI GUTHA SUKENDER REDDY, SHRI BHARTRUHARI  MAHTAB,  SHRI  VINAYAK  BHAURAO  RAUT,  SHRI ANTO  ANTONY,  SHRI  MALLIKARJUN  KHARGE,  DR.  SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE, SHRI NARANBHAI KACHHADIYA, SHRI ASADUDDIN OWAISI, SHRI AJAY MISRA TENI, SHRI D.K. SURESH, SHRI RAHUL SHEWALE, SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR, SHRI PRALHAD JOSHI,  SHRI  JITENDRA  CHAUDHURY,  SHRI  JYOTIRADITYA  M. SCINDIA, SHRI K. ASHOK KUMAR, SHRI A.P. JITHENDER REDDY, SHRI  KALIKESH  N.  SINGH  DEO,  SHRI  SUDHEER  GUPTA,  SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE, SHRIMATI ANJU BALA, SHRI ASHOK SHANKARRAO CHAVAN, SHRI P.R. SUNDARAM, SHRI BADRUDDIN AJMAL, SHRI T. RADHAKRISHNAN, SHRI S.R. VIJAYAKUMAR, DR. BOORA NARSAIAH GOUD, SHRI MOHITE PATIL VIJAYSINH SHANKARRAO,  SHRI  SATAV  RAJEEV,  DR.  J.  JAYAVARDHAN, SHRIMATI  SUPRIYA  SULE,  SHRI  SISIR  KUMAR  ADHIKARI,  DR. SHASHI THAROOR, DR. HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT, SHRI RAMEN DEKA,  SHRI  NISHIKANT  DUBEY,  SHRI  KUNWAR  PUSHPENDRA SINGH CHANDEL, SHRIMATI RAMA DEVI, PROF. RAVINDRA VISHWANATH GAIKWAD, SHRI NAGAR RODMAL AND SHRI JANARDAN  MISHRA  TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON 20.12.2017 REGARDING TRAIN ACCIDENTS (a):  No,  Madam.    In  the  current  financial  year,  the  number  of consequential  train  accidents  upto  30 th   November,  2017  have decreased from 85 in 2016-17 to 49 in 2017-18. (b): Does not arise. (c): Compensation for death/inquiry of Railway passengers in train accidents as defined in Section 124 of the Railways Act, 1989, is decided by Railways Claims Tribunal (RCT) on the basis of a claim application  filed  before  them.  Railway  Administration  is  liable  to pay compensation only when a decree is awarded by Hon'ble RCT is  favour  of  the  claimant  and  Railways  decide  to  implement  the decree.  The  compensation  awarded  by  RCT  and  decided  to  be satisfied  by  Railways,  is  paid  directly  in  the  bank  account  of  the applicant  through  National  Electronic  Funds  Transfer  (NEFT)/Real

Time Gross Settlement (RTGS). (d) & (e): Each and every consequential train accident is inquired into  either  by  the  Commission  of  Railway  Safety  (CRS)  under  the Ministry of Civil Aviation or by the Departmental Inquiry Committee of  Railway  to  ascertain  the  actual  factor  responsible  for  such accidents.  Based on the findings as contained in accident inquiry reports  and/or  is  currently  available  as  prima-facie  cause,  out  of the 49 train accidents, 30 accidents were caused due to failure of Railway staff, 12 due to failure on the part of other than Railway staff, 04 due to Incidental factors and 01 accident occurred due to combination of factors and inquiry report in 01 case is awaited. Out of  these  30  accidents  caused  due  to  failure  of  Railway  staff, disciplinary action has been initiated against 76 Railway employees.    After  finalization  of  the  Disciplinary  proceedings, penalties as per the prescribed norms shall be imposed against the staff found guilty. (f):    Safety is accorded the highest priority by Indian Railways  and all  possible  steps  are  undertaken  on  a  continual  basis  including upgradation  of  technology  to  aid  safe  running  of  trains.  These include replacement of over-aged assets, elimination of unmanned level  crossings,  adoption  of  suitable  technologies  for  upgradation and maintenance of track, rolling stock, signalling and interlocking systems, safety drives, greater emphasis on training of officials and inspections  at  regular  intervals  to  monitor  and  educate  staff  for observance  of  safe  practices.  Safety  devices/systems  used  to prevent  accidents  include  complete  track  circuiting,  provision  of Block  Proving  Axle  Counters  (BPAC),  Train  Protection  Warning Systems  (TPWS),  Colour  Light  LED  Signals,  Vigilance Control Device  (VCD),  usage  of  60  kg  rails  and  Pre-stressed  Concrete Sleepers, long rail panels, better welding technology, digital types of machines  for ultrasonic flaw detection (USFD), electronic monitoring of tracks using track recording cars (TRC) and portable oscillation monitoring system (OMS), progressive use of safer Linke Hofmann  Busch  (LHB)  Coaches.  Existing  Integral  Coach  Factory (ICF)  Coaches  are  being  provided  with  central  buffer  coupler  to have enhanced safety features. Other measures include training of loco  pilots  and  other  safety  category  staff,  improvement  of  their working  conditions  including  proper  rest  and  periodic  medical examinations  etc.  Besides,  periodic  safety  drives,  inspections  as per laid down schedules, patrolling of tracks, footplate inspections and  safety  reviews  at  various  levels  are  regularly  conducted  to continuously monitor and improve safety aspects of the Railways.

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