A Loco Pilot uses the Kavach in South Central Railway in which the brakes were applied automatically. File
| Photo Credit: Nagara Gopal

Safety issues are paramount after a spate of railway accidents, however, the Economic Survey 2023-24 released on July 22 indicates limited progress on safety-related works such as deployment of automatic train protection system Kavach and overhaul of signalling systems at all stations. 

Kavach, an automatic train protection (ATP) system, has been deployed on 1,465 route km in the South Central Railway, the Survey states. This is just 2.14% of the total railway network of 68,426 route km and 7,349 railway stations. 

So far, out of 17 operational railway zones in India, eight zones have become free from mechanical signalling, according to the Survey.  

Capex deployment

The Economic Survey also states that the capex deployment in railways has increased by 77% over past five years, ranging to ₹2.62 lakh crore in FY24 with significant investments in construction of new lines, gauge conversion and doubling.

However, till FY23, 2,981 railway stations had made the switch from mechanical signalling to electronic interlocking system, only up to 40% of India’s 7,325 railway stations. 

The Survey points out that in FY24, 443 additional stations made the switch, taking up the total number of stations which now have electronic interlocking systems up to 46%. 

Electronic interlocking (EI) systems were introduced in India 12 years ago. “Until March 31, 2024, EI has been provided at 3,424 stations,” the Survey says.   

Yet another signalling intervention Automatic Block Signalling (ABS), is a system that controls the movement of trains between the blocks using automatic signals, which helps trains operating in same direction safely without any risk of collision on the rear-end.

The Economic Survey points out that while the ABS is a proven low-cost signalling solution, it has been provided on 582 route km during FY24. Until March 31, 2024 since the time it was commissioned, the ABS has been commissioned on 4,431 route km on high-density network routes. This comprises 6.47% coverage across the length of Indian Railways. 

Three railway staff members were among eight people killed when a goods train rear-ended the Silchar-Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express at 8.55 am today, railway officials have said.

The goods train, which reportedly jumped a signal, collided with the passenger train on the same track around 8.55 am. Three coaches of the express train derailed, with one of them climbing onto the locomotive of the goods rake because of the impact of the collision. 

At least five passengers and three railway staffers – the locomotive pilot and assistant locomotive pilot of the goods rake and the guard in the express train – were killed and nearly 50 others were injured. Officials said the casualties could have been much higher but for the fact that the last two coaches of the express train were the guard coach and the cargo van. 

Four coaches of the Kanchanjunga Express and the engine and five containers of the goods trains were involved in the collision, which occurred near Rangapani station, close to New Jalpaiguri. The rescue operation is now complete. 

The Kanchanjunga Express passes through the Chicken’s Neck, a narrow corridor that connects the Northeast with the rest of the country. At least 10 trains have been diverted as a result of the accident. 

Kavach Not Implemented

Speaking to NDTV, Sabyasachi De, the Chief Public Relations Officer of the Northeast Frontier Railway, said the cause of the accident is being investigated and while some trains have been diverted, movement will not be hampered because the Aluabari-Siliguri-New Jalpaiguri line is being used. 

Railway Board Chairperson Jaya Varma Sinha confirmed the deaths of the loco pilot and assistant loco pilot of the goods train and the guard of the express train. 

“The injured have been taken to the North Bengal Medical College in Siliguri. Our priority is to get them the best possible medical aid so that their lives can be saved and they can recover as fast as possible… The unaffected portion of the train is being sent to its destination for the benefit of the passengers. For the families of the victims, helpdesks and helpline numbers have been set up,” she said. 

Ms Sinha said an inquiry will be conducted and admitted that the Kavach anti-collision system has not been implemented on the route used by the train. She added, however, that it has been planned on the Delhi-Guwahati route. When implemented, this will cover at least some sections in Bengal and Assam. 

The absence of the much-vaunted indigenously developed Kavach system was also talked about after the triple train collision in Odisha’s Balasore in June last year, in which 293 people were killed and over 1,200 were injured.

How The System Works

Kavach, Hindi for armour, is an anti-collision system developed by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) to achieve the goal of “zero accidents”. The technology is Safety Integrity Level 4 (SIL-4) certified – the highest certification level – meaning that there is a probability of just one error by Kavach in 10,000 years.

The system uses high-frequency radio communication and operates on the principle of continuous update of movement to prevent collisions. If it senses that an accident is about to happen, it automatically activates the brakes of the train on routes where the system is implemented. 

At Rs 50 lakh per km, it is also significantly lower than the cost of such technology used in other nations.

Officials said that the system has been put in place in 1,500 km of tracks so far and 3,000 km will be covered this year. The length of India’s railway network is over 1 lakh km. 

Helpline numbers released by the Railways: 033-23508794 and 033-23833326 (Sealdah) and 03612731621, 03612731622 and 03612731623 at Guwahati.