Repair work going on at the accident site. Photo Credit: PTI
This has been followed by numerous televised debates train accident 12841 Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express, 12864 Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express and a goods train at Bahanga Bazar station in Odisha’s Balasore district on the evening of June 2. What it failed to concretely address, leaving aside familiar generalities, is about how the Indian Railways can work to ensure that such a catastrophe is never repeated.
probable cause
First, a recap of what happened. Broadly speaking, the interlocking of signals and routes, via a series of relays and logic gates, ensures that a train is guided by signals on a single route between a maze of railway tracks, never going forward or backward. Will not encounter any other train. there is. In this case, this interlocking was overridden by manual intervention. We also have two reasons: in the first, it was most likely done by a signal maintainer who had access to the equipment hut or relay room, who would have been cutting corners to speed up his maintenance work so that the moving train would not be affected. Do not be Or, in another instance, as the Indian Railways believes, it is the act of a ‘saboteur’ with criminal intent to cause an accident. Odisha train accident now subject of double probe; First, a statutory inquiry by the Commissioner of Railway Safety, and second by the Central Bureau of Investigation, which is an unprecedented move by the government. Whatever the findings, it is not premature to examine the question raised above.
In this specific case, the general public finds it quite puzzling that a callous and arrogant signal maintainer, or ‘a criminal’ for that matter, could interfere with the system and cause destruction of this magnitude. . The heart of the interlocking equipment is housed in a central relay room in the main station building and access to this room is akin to opening a bank locker; The Station Master and the Maintainer have the keys of the double lock. While tampering with the equipment in this room is possible by the maintainer, in connivance with the station master or otherwise, the likelihood of the perpetrator acting in this manner is implausible. On the other hand, some remote equipment is scattered in the railway station yard, installed in huts and location boxes, which are accessible only by authorized maintainers. The possibilities of tampering are high at such places. Allegedly, in this case, it was equipment in a shack that was allegedly accessed and tampered with in this case. It is not irrelevant to mention that this system of protection of sensitive signaling equipment is not unique to India; Something similar, if not less stringent, is practiced in advanced rail systems abroad.
How do you deal with a scenario in which the authorized maintainer himself (to rectify the fault quickly or under pressure to execute routine maintenance in an expeditious manner) takes shortcuts, putting the lives of thousands of passengers at risk? Or, that a criminal is out to cause mayhem? This is similar to a clever hacker accessing a computerized road traffic signaling system at a busy crossing and messing with the conflict resolution module, turning all lights green in both directions and causing a massive vehicular crash. It is made
strengthen access to the system
Strong safeguards against such misadventure, whether by the custodians themselves or otherwise, can be difficult to build in, but it is something that must be pursued with great determination. The provision of double lock system even for remote huts in railway stations will definitely cause huge inconvenience in implementation, increasing the chances of train delay but will it be a big price to pay in view of Odisha train accident? This is the era of mobile phones and IT applications and it should be possible to think of a system of multiple digital authorizations to access such devices without physical movement of employees other than maintainers. Beyond merely identifying the culprits, the investigation should look into these factors. Without waiting for any test report, we should actually start working towards creating a secure system.
I have seen maintainers resorting to shortcuts, which are very close to creating an accident-like situation. If the investigation into the Odisha train accident confirms that it was indeed a case of unsafe intrusion by an escort, it will be even more important to determine whether it was a one-off case in the region or whether it was found to be a common occurrence . Of course, but not strictly dealt with. Even if it is done occasionally, the responsibility rests with the top management of the zone.
There is another issue – the safety record of the Indian Railways and the bigger question of the way forward. Let’s look at the statistics of accidents. Till a decade ago, the death toll in rail accidents was more than 500 people every year; But in the last four years, the number is now less than 50. While the Odisha accident has left its mark on safety statistics, it is important to acknowledge that the general reduction in accident rates is a result of some positive actions such as the elimination of unmanned level crossings as well as better track renewal and maintenance.
funds are not an issue
Therein lies a lesson. It was William Shakespeare who said, “Strong causes make strong works.” Yes, the rail network in India is saturated to a great extent, there has been a rapid increase in the number of train services, and all the vacancies in the safety categories need to be filled. All this makes it all the more imperative to pay more attention to the upgradation of track and signalling.
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The mishap could not have been prevented by the provision of the indigenous comprehensive signaling system Kavach. But other aspects of security demand faster implementation of Kavach; This will not only enhance rail safety but also improve sectional capacity to handle more trains. While the government has gained notoriety after publicizing about introducing more Vande Bharat trains and modernizing railway stations, the speedy execution of track and signaling work stands out. There is no dearth of funds as capital expenditure by the Central Government in Indian Railways is at an exceptionally high level. Therefore, the least that can be demanded is to make Indian Railways safer than what it is today.
Sudhanshu Mani is a retired General Manager, Indian Railways, makers of Train 18/Vande Bharat and an independent rail consultant