The distressing train accident which happened at Bahanaga Bazar railway station in Balasore district of Odisha, on June 2, 2023, underscores the critical need to implement effective safety strategies to avoid similar catastrophic incidents in the future. This event has particularly brought into focus the Kavach initiative that is designed to advance railway safety in India, although this system was not applied on the Odisha route.
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India and its Role in Safety Assessments
The 2022 report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) ‘Derailments in Indian Railways’ pointed out several deficiencies concerning the causes of train accidents in the country. The salient features of this report show that derailments were responsible for roughly 75% of consequential train accidents from 2017-18 to 2020-21.
Understanding Derailments: The Leading Cause of Train Accidents
The CAG report enumerates that out of 217 consequential train accidents, 163 or about 75% were caused by derailments. Other causes include fires in trains, accidents at unmanned or manned level crossings, collisions, and two miscellaneous incidents.
Classification of Train Accidents by the Railway Board
The Railway Board categorizes train accidents into two types: consequential train accidents, which have significant impacts such as loss of life, injury, property damage, and disruption of railway traffic, and other train accidents, which include all incidents not classified as consequential.
Factors Contributing to Derailments
Based on the analysis of inquiry reports, 23 contributing factors to derailments were identified across 16 Zonal Railways and 32 divisions. Maintenance-related issues of the track were the primary factor, followed by deviations in track parameters exceeding allowed limits and poor driving or overspeeding.
About the Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK)
The CAG’s performance analysis of the RRSK fund, established in 2017-18 to bolster safety measures on the rail network, reveals a shortfall in contributions from the Railways’ internal resources, undermining the primary safety enhancement objective of RRSK.
Declining Funds for Track Renewal
The report indicated a decrease in funds allocated for track renewal tasks, with such funds not being fully utilized. From 2017-21, there were 1,127 derailments, 26% of which were connected with track renewals.
CAG Recommendations and Pending Projects
The CAG report emphasized strict adherence to scheduled timelines for conducting and finalising accident inquiries. It also recommended the establishment of strong monitoring mechanisms to ensure timely implementation of maintenance activities.
About Kavach: Enhancing Train Safety
Kavach is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection system designed to improve safety in train operations across Indian Railways. The system meets Safety Integrity Level-4 standards, indicating its reliability in preventing trains from passing red signals, enforcing speed restrictions, activating braking systems automatically, preventing collisions, sending SoS messages during emergencies, offering centralized live monitoring of train movements, and utilizing Traffic Collision Avoidance System for two-way communication.
Implementation Status of Kavach
Out of the total route length of 1.03 lakh kilometres, only 1,455 kilometres have been covered by Kavach so far. The South Central Railway Zone has been leading in the implementation of this safety initiative.
Way Forward: Utilising Data Analytics and AI for Safety
The use of big data analytics and artificial intelligence can help in analysing vast amounts of data collected from trains, tracks, and infrastructure to detect patterns, identify anomalies, and predict potential safety risks. This will enable proactive interventions, enhancing the overall safety on Indian Railways.
Expediting the Implementation of Kavach Project
Given its importance, there is a need to fast-track the implementation of the Kavach project, and other railway zones should prioritize its installation to ensure enhanced safety measures across all routes.
