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INDIAN RAILWAYS ANNOUNCES 10 YEARS CORPORATE SAFETY PLAN (2003-2013)
New Delhi, Sravana 28, 1925
August 19, 2003
In his foreword to the Corporate Plan, the Minister said a technology mission on rail safety would be set up in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Human Resource Development, IIT, Kanpur and a consortium of industries for developing technology for achieving higher level of safety in train operations.
In the Corporate Plan, Rs.31,835 crores have been envisaged for safety enhancement which include funds already available under the non-lapsable Special Railway Safety Fund (SRSF) and the Railway Safety Fund (RSF). The Plan also envisages stepping up non-budgetary initiatives to meet additional requirements for money. A special safety scheme may also be resorted to with assistance of the Planning Commission and the Ministry of Finance.
The need for the Corporate Plan, the Minister said, has been felt for quite some time so as to have a safety blue-print based on technological inputs, work culture, managerial focus and required investments. The Corporate Plan has been prepared as recommended by the Khanna Railway Safety Review Committee.
While presenting the White Paper on safety on Indian Railways in April this year to Parliament, Shri Nitish Kumar had offered to review the safety performance of the railways in terms of accidents occurred during the last 40 years with special reference to the last decade.
The foreword to the Corporate Plan says investment policy and norms for the Indian Railways are being refocused. Creation of SRSF was the first bold step. To give more and more safety shelter, it is necessary to reorient investment policies and sustain the system by not permitting accumulation of areas of replacement at any stage. Further, safety-related projects have to be clearly defined, planned, funded and executed, the Minister added.
Following are the highlights of the Corporate Plan:
- Collisions constitute 7% of total accidents but account for 38% of total fatalities. Collisions will be totally eliminated by extensive use of Anti-Collision Device (ACD).
- Derailments constitute 75% of total accidents but account for only 14% of total fatalities.
- Derailments will be reduced by 60% by following measures.
- Replacement of overaged tracks, bridges, S&T gears and rolling stock under SRSF and current arisings under DRF.
- Elimination of four-wheeler tank wagons, which are accident - prone.
- Reduction of thermit welded joints which are weak areas.
- Improved training facilities – enhancement of human skills.
Rail/weld failures cannot be totally eliminated due to inherent weak nature of thermit weld and inherent infirmities in rail, although measures like “Continuous Track Circuiting” and use of ‘State-of-the-art SPURT Cars’ for rail flaw detection are going to be adopted.Fire accidents constitute 2% of total accidents and account for 2% of total fatalities. Fire accidents and consequent fatalities will be reduced by 80% by adoption of fireproof coaches and fire retardant material in the existing coaches. Fire accidents cannot be totally eliminated as some of them occur because of unidentified elements on which Railways have little control.Level Crossing Accidents constitute 16% of total accidents but account for 46% of total fatalities. These fatalities comprise of road users on which Railways have little control. There has been a rising trend in level crossing accidents in the last decade (+23%), which will, at least, be arrested by following measures.
- Social awareness programmes.
- Construction of ROBs/RUBs at level crossings with TVUs > 1 Lakh.
- Manning of unmanned level crossings.
- Provision of phones and interlocking of level crossing gates.
- Use of Train Actuated Warning Device (TAWD) and Anti Collision Device (ACD).
- Overall consequential train accidents per million train kilometers will be reduced from 0.44 in 2002-03 to 0.17 in 2012-13.
- Fatalities in case of serious accidents will be appreciably reduced by use of Crash worthy Coaches and tight lock couplers with anti-climbing features.
- Bridges –Following measures are being adopted:
- Under Water Inspection;
- Integrity testing of foundations;
- Non-destructive testing techniques
- Bridge Management System
- Fatigue life and residual life assessment techniques
- Replacement/rehabilitation of identified overaged and distressed bridges.
- Filling up of all Safety Category posts on urgency basis. Safety Related Retirement Scheme (SRRS) for gangmen/drivers in age group of 50 to 57 years.
- Disaster Management measures for ensuring quick relief and rescue operation Funds requirement for safety enhancement works, including SRSF, outlined in the Corporate Safety Plan Rs. 31, 835 crores .
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