INDIAN RAILWAYS ANNOUNCES TEN YEAR
CORPORATE SAFETY PLAN (2003-2013)
The Railway
Minister, Shri Nitish Kumar, today presented in Parliament the
Corporate Safety Plan for 2003-2013 which outlines objectives,
strategies and targets for reducing train accidents and improving
safety in train operations during the next ten years.
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 WarningDevice
(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 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 and 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