LUCKNOW: Following the tragic train accident at Bahanaga Bazar railway station in Balasore district of Odisha, claiming around 290 lives, the railway board on Monday instructed all 19 zones of Indian Railways to kick start safety drives immediately, emphasing on “super check” of signalling systems. The zones have to record all deficiencies and irregularities during the safety drive and submit reports by June 14.
Also See: Odisha Train Accident Live
According to the board’s letter to the zones, a copy of which is with TOI, executive director, safety, Tej Prakash Agrawal, instructed them to check all the “goomties (small shop-like places) housing signalling equipment within station limits and ensure that double locking arrangements are there.
“All relay rooms in stations should be checked and proper working of ‘double locking arrangement’ be ensured. It should also be checked and ensured that there is data logging and SMS alerts for opening and closing of doors of the relay rooms,” read the letter.
Relay rooms are air-conditioned indoor systems, in which all signaling cables from the rail track terminate, and further connect to the assistant station manager (ASM) panel to give a clear picture of the track in order to operate the room. Relay rooms have two separate locks, key of one remains with the ASM, while another with signal and telecommunication (S&T) team.
In case of signal error, the electronic signal maintainers (ESM) give a disconnection memo to the ASM and open the relay room along with him in order to rectify the error while train operations are halted on the particular section or is operated with caution at slow speed.
Further, according to the letter, zones have been asked to check that the system of disconnection and reconnection for S&T equipment is being followed strictly as per laid down norms and guidelines.
TOI had reported that on several occasions officials, including the former principal chief operation manager (PCOM) of South Western Railway, citing a February 8 case of Bengaluru-Hazrat Nizamuddin Express, had informed the Indian Railways that the S&T teams are bypassing the electronic interlocking system to rectify error of signals without following the procedure in order to avoid detention of trains.
Agrawal made it crystal clear to the zones that during the safety drives, all relay rooms, goomties housing the signaling equipment, their double locking arrangement must be checked with 100% surety. In fact, the officials will have to ensure 10% “super check”.
Also See: Odisha Train Accident Live
According to the board’s letter to the zones, a copy of which is with TOI, executive director, safety, Tej Prakash Agrawal, instructed them to check all the “goomties (small shop-like places) housing signalling equipment within station limits and ensure that double locking arrangements are there.
“All relay rooms in stations should be checked and proper working of ‘double locking arrangement’ be ensured. It should also be checked and ensured that there is data logging and SMS alerts for opening and closing of doors of the relay rooms,” read the letter.
Relay rooms are air-conditioned indoor systems, in which all signaling cables from the rail track terminate, and further connect to the assistant station manager (ASM) panel to give a clear picture of the track in order to operate the room. Relay rooms have two separate locks, key of one remains with the ASM, while another with signal and telecommunication (S&T) team.
In case of signal error, the electronic signal maintainers (ESM) give a disconnection memo to the ASM and open the relay room along with him in order to rectify the error while train operations are halted on the particular section or is operated with caution at slow speed.
Further, according to the letter, zones have been asked to check that the system of disconnection and reconnection for S&T equipment is being followed strictly as per laid down norms and guidelines.
TOI had reported that on several occasions officials, including the former principal chief operation manager (PCOM) of South Western Railway, citing a February 8 case of Bengaluru-Hazrat Nizamuddin Express, had informed the Indian Railways that the S&T teams are bypassing the electronic interlocking system to rectify error of signals without following the procedure in order to avoid detention of trains.
Agrawal made it crystal clear to the zones that during the safety drives, all relay rooms, goomties housing the signaling equipment, their double locking arrangement must be checked with 100% surety. In fact, the officials will have to ensure 10% “super check”.