The Guru's World

To boost train travel safety, the Central government intends to implement Kavach, a sophisticated anti-collision mechanism, throughout the whole dedicated freight corridor (DFC) network, as stated by R K Jain, the Managing Director of the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCC).

Prioritizing Safety

In a statement to Business Standard, Jain stated, “We are committed to making freight corridors safe. At present, there are few safety concerns or accidents on freight corridors. We plan to install Kavach on the DFC network shortly.”

Progress has been made on two dedicated freight corridors, western and eastern, with 77% or approximately 2,200 km completed. Kavach needs to be added to any DFC route km of the DFCs, since the Centre focuses on implementing it on passenger tracks.

The South-Central Railway (SCR) has already been equipped with the system for 1,465 route km, and the system is planned to be extended to another 3,000 route km by the end of next year.

The Advanced Kavach System

It costs approximately €50 lakh per km to develop Kavach by the Research Design and Standards Organization (RDSO). The system automatically initiates train brakes in cases of ‘signal passed at danger’ (SPAD), where a collision is likely, without relying on the loco pilot. A recent train accident at Balasore underscores the importance of this feature.

Despite two derailments on the eastern DFC in 2022, officials asserted that such incidents are infrequent. It is essential to curtail such incidents as the corridors’ completion will mean a freight shift to the DFCs, increasing pressure on the network and safety risks.

Future Safety Measures

Accidents involving freight trains are common, but many are considered “nonsignificant” or “not serious” since there are no casualties. The report by Business Standard earlier this month noted an increase of 37% in “consequential” rail accidents in FY23.

Railway Board members raised several concerns about freight train safety during a review meeting in April, including the long working hours of staff involved in rolling stock operations. The transporter plans to reduce the current shift duration of eight hours on DFCs to combat pilot fatigue, according to Jain.

DFCC equips loco pilots on the western corridor with handsets featuring a “panic button.” A loco pilot can press this button in case of an accident or derailment, causing all nearby trains to be alerted and the control room to halt all trains near the accident site.

The National Logistics Policy emphasizes the importance of preventing freight train accidents from an industry perspective. Despite being more polluting and expensive, private players have often expressed concerns about the safety of their cargo, citing it as a key reason for transporting industrial goods by road.

References

Saha, D. (2023, June 17). Amid safety concerns, railways to install kavach on freight corridors. Business Standard. https://shorturl.at/lptO3