Lok Sabha Question No. 51 (STARRED), answered on 2019-11-20
Subject: Prevention of Rail Accidents
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Nama Nageswara Rao

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 51 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.11.2019

## PREVENTION OF RAIL ACCIDENTS

*51 SHRI NAMA NAGESWARA RAO:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has taken any initiatives during the last two years for prevention of rail accidents by adopting latest tracking system, if so the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;

(b) the details of the system in place at present to ensure reduction of train mishaps; and

(c)  the  details  of  minor  and  major  rail  mishaps/accidents  that occurred during the above period resulting in loss of human lives?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF RAILWAYS AND COMMERCE &  INDUSTRY

(SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

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

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (c)  OF STARRED QUESTION NO. 51 BY SHRI NAMA NAGESWARA RAO TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 20.11.2019 REGARDING PREVENTION OF RAIL ACCIDENTS

(a) : Yes,  Sir.    The  Government  have  taken  initiatives  during the  last  two  years  for  prevention  of  accidents  by  adopting  latest tracking system. The details are as follows:

Automatic  Train  Protection  (ATP)  System  has  been  planned  to  be provided.  ATP system is an aid to Loco Pilot for prevention of Signal Passing at Danger (SPAD), over speeding and helps in train operation in  fog.      A  few  of  the  advanced  Automatic  Train  Protection  System (ATP)  have been identified.  Pilot projects of these on a few selected sections    (Total  1839  Route  KMs)  have  also  been  undertaken.  Once successful, they shall be adopted on large scale on Indian Railways.

(b):  Details of the systems in place at present to ensure reduction of train mishaps are as follows:

- (i) 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  5,965 stations up to 30.09.2019.
- (ii) Track Circuiting of stations to enhance safety for verification of track  occupancy  by  electrical  means  instead  of  human  element  is completed at about 6,117 stations up to 30.09.2019.
- (iii) 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 5,515 block sections up to 30.09.2019.
- (iv) Train  Protection  and  Warning  System:  Train  Protection  and Warning System (TPWS) based on European Technology ETCS Level-1 Automatic Train Protection (ATP) System to avoid train accident/collision  on  account  of  human  error  of  Signal  Passing  at Danger  (SPAD)  or  over  speeding,  has  been  provided  at  selected sections.
- (v) Auxiliary Warning  System  (AWS):  An  ATP  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 (124 Route KMs).
- (vi) Vigilance  Control  Device  (VCD):    All  the  diesel  and  electric locomotives  on  Indian  Railways  have  now  been  provided  with Vigilance Control Devices.
- (vii) A  Global  Positioning  System  (GPS)  based  Fog  Pass  Device  is being provided as required to loco pilots in fog affected areas which enables  loco  pilots  to  know  the  exact  distance  of  the  approaching signals, LC Gate and other critical landmarks. (viii) Simulator based  training of loco pilots: Simulator  based training is being imparted to loco pilots to improve their driving skills and reaction time. (ix) Track Renewal:  During 2018-19, 4181 kms. track renewal had been carried out. For the current year i.e. 2019-20, 2643 km  track renewal has been carried out upto October, 2019. (x) In order to improve safety, modern track structure consisting of Prestressed  Concrete  Sleeper  (PSC),  60kg,  90  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. 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
- (xi) Railways.

(xii) Long rail panels of 260 M/130M length are manufactured at the steel  plant  to  minimize  number  of  Alumino  Thermit  joints  in  the track.

(xiii) 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.

(xiv) 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.

(xv) 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.

(xvi) Mechanization  of  Track  Maintenance  is  being  progressively carried out to reduce human errors.

(xvii) Safety  drives  and  inspections  at  regular  intervals  are  carried out to monitor and educate staff for observance of safe practices.

(xviii) Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) Type Coaches: LHB coaches are of  a  superior  design  that  reduces  the  chances  of  derailment  and reduces  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.

(xix) Prevention  of accidents  by  providing Online Monitoring  of Rolling  Stock(OMRS)  and  Wheel  Impact  Load  Detector(WILD).  Total 07 Online Monitoring of Rolling Stocks(OMRS) equipment have been installed on Indian Railway network between 2017-2019 and 02 are under  installation.    17  Wheel  Impact  Load  Detectors  (WILD)  have been installed on Indian Railways, between 2006-2018.

(xx) Elimination of Unmanned  Level Crossing Gates : 3,479 Unmanned Level Crossings (UMLCs) were eliminated during the year 2018-19.  All UMLCs on Broad Gauge have already been eliminated by January, 2019.

(xxi) Interlocking  of  Level  Crossing  Gates  with  signals  to  avoid accidents  has  been  done  at  11,474  Level  Crossing  Gates  up  to 30.09.2019.

(xxii) Provision  of  Fire  Extinguishers:  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.

(xxiii) Use  of improved  materials for electrical fittings  and fixtures  such  as  Miniature  Circuit  Breakers(MCBs),  light  fittings, terminal boards and connectors.

(xxiv) Publicity  Campaigns:  Intensive  publicity  campaigns  to prevent  the  travelling  public  from  carrying  inflammable  goods  are regularly undertaken.

(c) Details of consequential train accident involving fatalities during the period 2017-18, 2018-19 and the current year 2019-20 (upto 31st  October,  2019),  over  Indian  Railways  type-wise  and  year-wise are given below :-

Consequential Train Accidents involving fatalities

| Type of Accidents       | 2017-18          | 2017-18    | 2018-19          | 2018-19    | 2019-20 (upto 31st October)   | 2019-20 (upto 31st October)   |
|-------------------------|------------------|------------|------------------|------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
|                         | No. of accidents | Fatalities | No. of accidents | Fatalities | No. of accidents              | Fatalities                    |
| Collision               | 0                | 0          | 0                | 0          | 1                             | 3                             |
| Derailment              | 2                | 29         | 2                | 13         | 0                             | 0                             |
| Manned Level Crossing   | 3                | 3          | 3                | 4          | 1                             | 1                             |
| Unmanned Level Crossing | 10               | 26         | 3                | 16         | 0                             | 0                             |
| Fire in trains          | 0                | 0          | 2                | 3          | 0                             | 0                             |
| Miscellaneous Accidents | 0                | 0          | 1                | 1          | 0                             | 0                             |
| Total                   | 15               | 58         | 11               | 37         | 2                             | 4                             |

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