Railways to introduce GPS in trains as safety measure
A team of railway safety staff has started doing night track patrolling
Patna: The railways has decided to introduce GPS in mail and express trains as part of the winter safety measures to ensure a safe journey for passengers. Sources said the GPS would help railways reduce mishaps on the tracks due to foggy weather. Safety officials, station masters and loco pilots have been put on high alert due to poor visibility on the tacks, especially at night or early morning.
According to DRM/Danapur Ranjan Prakash Thakur, a team of railway safety staff has started doing night track patrolling from 8pm to 8am to check alertness of the staff on duty. He said key men and gang men have been put on high alert to avert any mishap.
Railways have asked its officials concerned to follow ‘Gate Mitra Yojana’ to avert mishaps at railway level crossing in the division during foggy weather condition. Counselling sessions with loco pilots and guards of the trains have started with a caution to follow winter precautionary rules strictly, Thakur said.
The DRM said the maximum permissible speed limit for each train is 60 kmph during foggy weather. Loco pilots have been asked to follow safety measures and use their discretion in case of poor visibility on tracks, he said.
Thakur said the GPS facility would help loco pilots in running trains during severe foggy weather conditions. Besides, railways has set up a separate control room at Danapur to keep a tab on the movement of passenger trains during winter.
More than 1200 detonators (fog signals) have been supplied to Danapur division to maintain winter safety measures. Stations located on vulnerable sections of the division have been equipped with detonators to fight fog menace, he said.
Most of the fog-prone stations on the mainline section of Danapur division are located between Mughalsarai and Jhajha. The worst affected stations are in the Taal area near Mokama while stations located between Neora and Buxar are highly vulnerable in the division, the DRM said, adding that about 40% stations in Danapur division are fog-prone.
Railways have installed flasher lights, signal sighting boards, fog signal posts and retro-reflective posts at each vulnerable station in the division. The visibility test objects (VTOs) and track falling lines have been painted in the fog-prone areas. The division is more alert this time as several pairs of premier trains, including Rajdhani Express, pass through a mainline section of the division, Thakur said.
Source: TOI