The Hindu Editorial Analysis- 9th June 2023 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Getting railway safety back on track after Odisha

Why in News?

There have been innumerable television debates following the train accident involving the 12841 Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express, the 12864 Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express and a goods train at Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore district, Odisha, on the evening of June 2. But the key question that many panellists have failed to address convincingly, barring the familiar platitudes, is about how the Indian Railways can work to ensure that such catastrophes are never repeated.

What are the Major Highlights of the Report?

• About:
  • The CAG report reveals that nearly 75% of the consequential train accidents between 2017-18 and 2020-21 were caused by derailments.
• Derailments: The Leading Cause of Train Accidents
  • Out of 217 consequential train accidents, 163 (around 75%) were caused by derailments.
  • Other causes of train accidents include fire in trains (20 accidents), accidents at unmanned level-crossings (13 accidents), collisions (11 accidents), accidents at manned level crossings (8 accidents), and miscellaneous incidents (2 accidents).
• Factors Responsible for Derailments:
  • Analysis of inquiry reports revealed 23 factors contributing to derailments in 16 Zonal Railways and 32 divisions.
  • The major factor responsible for derailments was related to maintenance of track (167 cases), followed by deviation of track parameters beyond permissible limits (149 cases) and bad driving/overspeeding (144 cases).
• Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK):
  • The CAG also analysed the performance of RRSK, established in 2017-18 to strengthen safety measures on the rail network to prevent accidents with a corpus of Rs 1 lakh crore.
  • The audit found that while the Gross Budgetary Support of Rs 15,000 crore had been contributed, the Railways' internal resources fell short of the target for funding the remaining Rs 5,000 crore per year to RRSK.
  • This shortfall of funds from internal resources undermined the primary objective of creating RRSK to enhance safety in Railways.
• Declining Allotment of Funds for Track Renewal:
  • The report highlighted a decline in the allotment of funds for track renewal works, from Rs 9,607 crore in 2018-19 to Rs 7,417 crore in 2019-20.
  • Furthermore, the allocated funds for track renewal works were not fully utilised.
  • Out of 1,127 derailments during 2017-21, 289 derailments (26%) were linked to track renewals.
• Recommendations and Pending Projects:
  • The CAG report recommended strict adherence to scheduled timelines for conducting and finalising accident inquiries.
  • Indian Railway (IR) may develop a strong monitoring mechanism to ensure timely implementation of maintenance activities by adopting fully mechanised methods of track maintenance and improved technologies.
  • IR may prepare the ‘Detailed Outcome Framework’ for each item of safety work as per the indicative outcomes to gauge whether the benefits derived out of the RRSK funds are in the conformity with the objectives behind the creation of the Fund

What is the Commission of Railway Safety (CRS)?

• About:
  • CRS is a government body that acts as the railway safety authority in the country.
  • It deals with matters related to safety of rail travel and operations, among some other statutory functions – inspectorial, investigatory, and advisory – as laid down in the Railways Act, 1989.
  • It is Headquartered in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
• Ministry:
  • It is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) instead of the Ministry of Railways.
  • The reason behind this is to keep the CRS insulated from the influence of the country’s railway establishment and prevent conflicts of interest.

What is the History of CRS?

• Indian Railway Board Act, 1905:
  • As per the Indian Railway Board Act, 1905, and a notification by the then Department of Commerce and Industry, the Railway Board was entrusted with powers and functions of the government under various sections of the Railway Act and was also authorised to make rules for railway operations in India.
  • This effectively made the Railway Board the safety controlling authority for railways in India.
• Government of India Act of 1935:
  • Section 181(3) of the Government of India Act of 1935 stated that there should be a separate authority responsible for ensuring the safety of both passengers and railway personnel. This authority would investigate accidents and determine their causes.
  • In 1939, a panel headed by the then chief inspecting officer of the British Railways, A.H.L. Mount, noted that the Railway Board was appreciative of the separation argument and “would welcome the change”.
• Separation from Inspectorate:
  • In May 1941, the Railway Inspectorate was separated from the Railway Board and placed under the control of the Department of Posts and Air at that time.
  • Later in 1961, the Inspectorate was renamed as CRS (Commissioner of Railway Safety), and it has been under the authority of the central ministry responsible for civil aviation in India ever since.

What is Kavach?

• About:
  • Kavach is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system aimed at enhancing safety in train operations across the vast network of Indian Railways.
  • Developed by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in association with three Indian vendors, it has been adopted as our National Automatic Train Protection (ATP) System.
  • The Indian Railways Institute of Signal Engineering & Telecommunications (IRISET) in Secunderabad, Telangana hosts the 'Centre of Excellence' for Kavach.
  • IRISET is responsible for training in-service railway staff on Kavach through its dedicated Kavach lab.
• Functionality:
  • The system meets Safety Integrity Level-4 (SIL-4) standards, signifying its high reliability.
  • Prevents trains from passing red signals and enforces speed restrictions.
  • Activates the braking system automatically if the driver fails to control the train.
  • Prevents collisions between two locomotives equipped with Kavach systems.
  • Relays SoS messages during emergency situations.
  • Offers centralised live monitoring of train movements through the Network Monitor System.
  • Utilises Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) for two-way communication between the station master and loco-pilot.
• Implementation and Deployment of Kavach:
  • Of the total route length of 1.03 lakh kilometres, only 1,455 kilometres have been brought under Kavach yet.
  • The South Central Railway (SCR) Zone has been at the forefront of Kavach implementation.

Way Forward

• Utilising Data Analytics and AI: Utilise big data analytics and artificial intelligence to analyse vast amounts of data collected from trains, tracks, and infrastructure. This can help identify patterns, detect anomalies, and predict potential safety risks, enabling proactive interventions.
• Implementing Kavach Project: It is crucial to expedite the implementation of the Kavach project on the Howrah-Chennai line passing through at least four railway zones.
• Other railway zones should prioritise the installation of the Kavach system to ensure enhanced safety measures across the entire route.