Lok Sabha Question No. 4040 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-18
Subject: Train Accidents
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Sudheer Gupta, Shrirang Appa Barne, Gajanan Chandrakant Kirtikar, Sanjay Sadashivrao Mandlik, Bidyut Baran Mahato

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4040 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.03.2020

## TRAIN ACCIDENTS

4040.  SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA: SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE: SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR: SHRI SANJAY SADASHIV RAO MANDLIK: SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there has been  a decline in the number  of train accidents;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  of  the  accidents  during  each  of  the  last  three years and the current year;
- (c) whether it is also a fact that there has been rapid decrease in the number of  deceased  and  injured  persons  due  to  train  accidents and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  the  safety  measures  including  speedy  track  renewal ultrasonic rail detection system, elimination of several unmanned level  crossings,  etc.  are  proposed  to  be  taken  on  priority  basis and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the further measures being taken by the Government to increase rail safety in the country and avoid future train accidents?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS AND COMMERCE & INDUSTRY

(SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

- (a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

*****

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO  4040  BY  SHRI  SUDHEER  GUPTA,  SHRI SHRIRANG  APPA  BARNE,  SHRI  GAJANAN  KIRTIKAR,  SHRI  SANJAY SADASHIV  RAO  MANDLIK  AND  SHRI  BIDYUT  BARAN  MAHATO  TO  BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 18.03.2020 REGARDING TRAIN ACCIDENTS

(a)  to  (c):  Yes,  Sir.  The  details  of  number  of  consequential  train accidents and persons deceased/injured during the last three years i.e. 2016-17 to 2018-19 and in the current year 2019-20 (from 1 st  April, 2019 to 13 th  March, 2020) are given as under:-

| Year                              | Number of consequential   | Casualties         | Casualties                     | Casualties         | Casualties                     |
|-----------------------------------|---------------------------|--------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------|--------------------------------|
|                                   | Train                     | Deceased           | Deceased                       | Injured            | Injured                        |
|                                   | Accidents                 | Railway Passengers | Others than Railway Passengers | Railway Passengers | Others than Railway Passengers |
| 2016-17                           |                           | 195                | 43                             |                    |                                |
|                                   | 104                       |                    |                                | 346                | 23                             |
| 2017-18                           | 73                        | 28                 | 30                             | 182                | 17                             |
| 2018-19                           | 59                        | 16                 | 21                             | 90                 | 22                             |
| 2019-20# (upto 13 th March, 2020) | 55                        | 00                 | 05                             | 73                 | 08                             |

#There  is  no  passenger  fatality  in  any  consequential  train  accident  in the current financial year till date.)

(d)  &  (e):  Yes,  Sir.    Track  renewal  works  are  planned  every  year  and their  execution  is  prioritized  according  to  the  condition  of  track. Railway tracks are replaced through track renewal works which is an ongoing process. Track renewal works are undertaken as and when a stretch of track becomes due for renewal on the basis of criteria laid down in Indian Railway Permanent Way Manual on age/condition basis viz.  traffic  carried  in  terms  of  gross  million  tones,  incidence  of  rail fracture/failure, wear of rails, corrosion of rails, maintainability of track as per standards etc.

All unmanned level crossings (UMLCs) on Broad Gauge (BG) have been eliminated on 31.01.2019.

Further, the following steps/measures have been taken to prevent accidents and to enhance safety of passengers on Indian Railways:-

1. Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK) has been introduced in 201718  for  replacement/renewal/upgradation  of  critical  safety  assets, with a corpus of ₹ 1 lakh crore for five years.
2. Electrical/Electronic Interlocking Systems with centralized operation  of  points  and  signals  are  progressively  provided  to eliminate accident due to human  failure and to replace old mechanical systems. These systems have been provided at 6,084 stations up to 29.02.2020.
3. Axle  Counter  for  Automatic  clearance  of  Block  Section  to  ensure complete arrival of train without manual intervention before granting line clear to the next train and to reduce human element have been provided on 5,661 block sections up to 29.02.2020.
4. Automatic  Train  Protection  (ATP)  System  called  Train  Protection and  Warning  System  (TPWS)  based  on  European  Train  Control System Level-1 (ETCS L-1) Technology has been  implemented on 345  Route  Km  (200  Route  km  Delhi-Agra  Section,  117  Route  Km Chennai  Suburban  section  and  28  Route  km  of  Metro  Railway Kolkata).
5. An earlier version of ATP system called Auxiliary Warning System (AWS) is presently functional on 413 RKMs in the Mumbai suburban section  of  Central  Railway  (289  Route  KMs)  and  Western  Railway
5. (124 Route KMs).
6. Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS): Train Collision Avoidance System is an indigenous Automatic Train protection (ATP) system developed  in  association  with  Indian  manufacturers.  The  system has been installed on Lingampalli - Vikarabad - Wadi and Vikarabad - Bidar sections (250 Route km) on South Central Railway. Further, the  system  is  under  implementation  on  1199  Route  Km  on  South Central Railway.
7. 4 pilot projects of lengths totalling 640 Route km at total cost of ₹ 1609 crores on Golden Quadrilateral and Diagonal routes have been sanctioned for trails of Modern Train Control Systems on following sections:
8. Interlocking of Level Crossing Gates with signals to avoid accidents has been done at 11,622 Level Crossing Gates up to 29.02.2020.
9. Two works of raising of speed to 160 kmph on existing New DelhiHowrah  and  New  Delhi  -  Mumbai  routes  have  been  sanctioned including  modernization  of  Signalling  including  Automatic  Train protection System.
10. All the diesel and electric locomotives on Indian Railways have now been provided with Vigilance Control Devices.
11. A Global Positioning System (GPS) based Fog Pass Device is being provided  as  required  to  loco  pilots  in  fog  affected  areas  which
13. enables loco pilots to know the exact distance of the approaching signals, Level Crossing Gate and other critical landmarks.
12. Simulator based training is being imparted to loco pilots to improve their driving skills and reaction time.
13. During 2018-19, 4181 km (in Complete Track Renewal Units) track renewal  had  been  carried  out.  For  the  current  year  i.e.  2019-20, 4278 km (in complete Track Renewal units) track renewal has been carried out upto February, 2020.
14. In  order  to  improve  safety,  modern  track  structure  consisting  of Prestressed Concrete Sleeper (PSC), 60kg, 90kg or higher Ultimate Tensile  Strength  (UTS)  rails,  fanshaped  layout  turnout  on  PSC sleepers,  Steel  Channel  Sleepers  on  girder  bridges  is  used  while carrying out primary track renewals.
15. Provision of Thick Web Switches (TWS) is planned for all important routes of Indian Railways. To expedite provision of TWS, procurement  of  Thick  Web  Switches  has  been  decentralized  to Zonal Railways.
16. Long rail panels of 260 M/130M length are manufactured at the steel plant to minimize number of Alumino Thermit joints in the track.
17. Cold  weather  patrolling  of  the  railway  tracks  is  done  during  the coldest part of the night in cold months of the year to look out for weld/rail fractures for ensuring safety.
18. Ultrasonic  Flaw  Detection  (USFD)  testing  of  rails  to  detect  flaws and  timely  removal  of  defective  rails.  USFD  Vehicular  testing system  has  been  introduced  and  implemented  successfully  on Northern Railway.
19. Global  Positioning  System  (GPS)  trackers  are  being  progressively provided  to  keyman  &  patrolmen  to  monitor  their  movement  &  to report any unsafe condition noticed by them instantaneously.
20. Mechanization of Track Maintenance is being progressively carried out to reduce human errors.
21. Track management system has been introduced on Indian Railways for  development  of  database  and  decision  support  system  and  to decide rationalize maintenance requirement and optimize inputs.
22. Safety drives and inspections at regular intervals are carried out to monitor and educate staff for observance of safe practices.
23. Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) Type Coaches are of a superior design coaches that reduce the chances of derailment and the possibility of grievous injury or death in case of accidents. Indian Railways has completely switched over to the manufacture of LHB coaches from 2018-19 onwards.
24. All  UMLCs  on  Broad  Gauge  have  already  been  eliminated  through closure/merger/provision of Subway for safety measures.
25. Dry chemical powder type fire extinguishers are being provided in all mainline coaches.  These are portable fire extinguishers and are easy to use by on board staff or passengers in case of emergency.
26. Use of improved materials for electrical fittings and fixtures such as Miniature  Circuit  Breakers  (MCBs),  light  fittings,  terminal  boards and connectors.
27. Intensive publicity campaigns to prevent the travelling public from carrying inflammable goods are regularly undertaken.
30. *****

|   S. No. | Section                | Railway               |
|----------|------------------------|-----------------------|
|        1 | Nagpur-Badnera         | Central Railway       |
|        2 | Renigunta-Yerraguntala | South Central Railway |
|        3 | Vizianagaram-Palasa    | East Coast Railway    |
|        4 | Bina-Jhansi            | North Central Railway |