Lok Sabha Question No. 2469 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-16
Subject: Accidents at Unmanned Level Crossings
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Gopal Chinayya Shetty

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2469 TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.03.2022

## ACCIDENTS AT UNMANNED LEVEL CROSSINGS

†2469.   SHRI GOPAL CHINNAYA SHETTY:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the Zone-wise details of the accidents that occurred at un-manned level crossings during the last three years;
- (b) the  Zone-wise  number  of  persons  who  died  and  were  injured  in these accidents;
- (c) the total amount of compensation paid to the families of victims, Zone-wise; and
- (d) the steps being taken by the Government to lower the number of rail accidents?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND

## ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

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

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 2469 BY SHRI GOPAL CHINNAYA SHETTY TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 16.03.2022 REGARDING ACCIDENTS AT UNMANNED LEVEL CROSSINGS

(a) & (b): During the last three years i.e. 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21, 03  consequential  train  accidents  took  place  at  Unmanned  Level Crossings (UMLCs) on Indian Railways. All the said 03 accidents took place  during  the  year  2018-19,  with  one  accident  each  occurring  on East  Central  Railway,  North  Eastern  Railway  and  Southern  Railway. There  was  no  consequential  train  accident  during  the  years  2019-20 and 2020-21, as all UMLCs on Broad Gauge routes were eliminated by 31.01.2019.  The  Zone-wise  details  of  number  of  persons  died  and injured in the said 03 accidents, which took place during the year 201819, are as follows:-

| Zonal Railway   |   Number of deaths |   Number of injuries |
|-----------------|--------------------|----------------------|
| East Central    |                  1 |                    0 |
| North Eastern   |                 13 |                    5 |
| Southern        |                  2 |                    2 |
| Total           |                 16 |                    7 |

(c):  There  is  no provision in the  Railway  Act,  1989  for  grant  of compensation to the victims of accidents at Unmanned Level Crossings (UMLCs). However, sometimes MACTs (Motor Accident Claims Tribunals),  High  Courts  and  Supreme  Court  grant  compensation  on claims cases filed by victims and then the Railways pay the compensation.

During the last three years i.e. 2018-19 to 2020-21, the Zone-wise details of compensation paid to the families of the victims of accidents that occurred at unmanned level crossings, is as follows:-

|                    | Year-wise amount paid (in ` )   | Year-wise amount paid (in ` )   | Year-wise amount paid (in ` )   |
|--------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
| Zonal Railway      | 2018-19                         | 2019-20                         | 2020-21                         |
| Central            | 0                               | 0                               | 0                               |
| East Central       | 0                               | 0                               | 0                               |
| East Coast         | 0                               | 0                               | 0                               |
| Eastern            | 0                               | 0                               | 0                               |
| North Central      | 0                               | 0                               | 0                               |
| North Eastern      | 0                               | 0                               | 0                               |
| Northeast Frontier | 0                               | 0                               | 0                               |
| Northern           | 0                               | 0                               | 0                               |
| North Western      | 0                               | 0                               | 0                               |
| South Central      | 0                               | 0                               | 24,97,903*                      |
| South Eastern      | 0                               | 0                               | 0                               |
| South East Central | 0                               | 0                               | 0                               |
| Southern           | 0                               | 0                               | 0                               |
| South Western      | 0                               | 0                               | 0                               |
| West Central       | 0                               | 0                               | 0                               |
| Western            | 0                               | 0                               | 0                               |

Note: The compensation paid in a year need not necessarily relate to the accidents/casualties  in  that  year  alone.  The  amount  paid  in  a  year depends  upon  the  number  of  cases  finalized  by  the  Railway Claims Tribunals (RCTs)  or other Courts of Law in a particular year, irrespective of the year(s) in which the accident they pertain to, have occurred.

(d):  Safety  is  accorded  the  highest  priority  by  Indian  Railways  and  all possible steps are undertaken  on  a continuous basis to prevent accidents and to enhance safety of passengers. Following steps/measures have been taken to lower the number of rail accidents:-

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, having annual outlay of ` 20,000 crore.
2. Electrical/Electronic Interlocking Systems with centralized operation of points and signals have been provided at 6292 stations upto 31.01.2022 to eliminate accident due to human failure.
3. Track  Circuiting  of  stations  to  enhance  safety  for  verification  of track occupancy by electrical means instead of human element has been provided at 6273 stations as on 31.01.2022.
4. Block  Proving  Axle  Counter  (BPAC)  to  ensure  complete  arrival  of train without manual intervention before granting line clear to the next  train  have  been  provided  on  5958  block  sections  up  to 31.01.2022.
5. Interlocking  of  Level  Crossing  (LC)  Gates  has  been  provided  at 10731 level Crossing Gates up to 31.01.2022 for enhancing safety at LC gates.
6. All electric locomotives are equipped with Vigilance Control Devices (VCD) to ensure alertness of Loco Pilots.
7. Provision  of  Retro-reflective  sigma  boards  is  done  on  the  mast which is located two OHE masts prior to the signals in electrified
8. territories  to  warn  the  crew  about  signal  ahead  when  visibility  is low due to foggy weather.
8. Provision  of  a  GPS  based  Fog  Pass  device  has  been  made  for locomotive pilots in fog affected areas which enables loco pilot to know the exact distance of the approaching landmarks like signals, level crossing gates etc.
9. Modern  track  structure  consisting  of  60kg,  90  Ultimate  Tensile Strength (UTS) rails, Prestressed Concrete Sleeper (PSC) Normal/Wide base sleepers with elastic fastening, fanshaped layout turnout on PSC sleepers, Steel Channel/H-beam Sleepers on girder bridges is used, while carrying out primary track renewals.
10. Patrolling of railway  tracks  is done  to  look  out  for weld/rail fractures.
11. Ultrasonic Flaw Detection (USFD) testing of rails is done to detect flaws and timely remove defective rails.
12. GPS  trackers  are  provided  to  keyman  and  patrolmen  to  monitor their movement and to report any unsafe condition noticed by them instantaneously.
13. Preventive maintenance of the railway assets (Coaches & Wagons) is undertaken to ensure safe train operations and to keep a check on Rail Accidents across the country.
14. Indian Railways has already adopted the Technological upgradation in  Safety  aspects  of  coaches  and  wagons  by  way  of  introducing Modified Centre Buffer Couplers, Bogie Mounted Air Brake System (BMBS),  improved  suspension  design  and  provision  of  Automatic Fire & smoke detection systems in coaches.
15. Replacement of conventional ICF design coaches with LHB design coaches.

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