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Tag: Railway Board

  • Soon, No More Train Accidents In India? Railway Board CEO Suggest THIS To All Zones | Mobility News

    Indian Railways – Train Accidents: In an important step to avoid train collisions, Railway Board Chairman Satish Kumar has written to the general managers of all 17 zones asking them to monitor technical reports generated by a device called data logger on a daily basis.

    Data logger is fitted at stations and it records real time data of all aspects of train operations as well as the signal system. It generates an exception report in case a station master fails to take steps to ensure that a train does not come on the same track already occupied by another train.

    “During the safety review meeting held on 06.09.2024, I had instructed to all Zonal Railways that the data logger exception report should be monitored by DRMs (Divisional Railway Managers) every day and the position for previous day from two/three Divisions will be randomly reviewed at Board level,” Kumar said in a letter dated September 13 addressed to the general managers of all zones.

    “On 10.09.2024, six Divisions were asked by ED/E&R (Executive Director, Efficiency & Research) to share the position. Position was received from three Divisions; position was not received from two Divisions and position of the previous week was received from one Division,” he added.

    Expressing concern over the lack of compliance of a crucial safety instruction, Kumar said, “As this is an important measure for ensuring safety, all GMs have to ensure that the data logger report is monitored on a daily basis by all divisions in their zones.”

    Kumar added that the Railway Board may ask two to three divisions randomly to share the original printout of data logger report even if there is no exception report along with analysis and remarks in each case.

    The issue pertains to a General Rule np. 3.38(2) related to operational safety which ensures that two trains do not come on the same track one after the other.

    “A single rail line branches into several loop lines and a main line at any station. Now, if one branch line, let’s say a loop line number 1, is occupied by a train, the signal aspect for another train for that particular loop line will be red so that the another train doesn’t come on that line,” K P Arya, who retired as Chief Signal and Telecom Engineer/Information Technology, Northern Railway, said.

    “But if by mistake the loco pilot jumps the red light, he or she can hit the stationed train resulting in an accident. To avoid such a situation, a norm has been made that after receiving the train on a loop line, the station master will change the interlocking point to another line which is free so that in case the loco pilot errs, it doesn’t result in a collision,” he added.

    According to Arya, if the station master fails to change the interlocking point towards a free line, the data logger records it and generates an exception report.

    In two recent cases of train collisions, one in Andhra Pradesh in October 2023 and another one in West Bengal in June 2024, the Commissioner of Railway Safety reports in both cases observed that data loggers report showed that violations of safety norms happened multiple times before the accidents but the concerned senior railway officials of the division failed to take note of it.

    Railways experts say that it is a good move by the Railway Board chairman to ensure monitoring of data logger reports which will help rectify the mistakes before they would result into accidents.

  • Meet Satish Kumar, First Dalit Chairman Of Railway Board – His Full Journey | Mobility News

    First Dalit Chairman Of Railway Board- Satish Kumar: Indian Railway Management Service officer Satish Kumar has been appointed as the chairman and chief executive officer of the Railway Board, officials said Tuesday. This makes him the first chairman and CEO from the Scheduled Castes in the board’s history, senior officials of the Railway Board said. Jaya Varma Sinha, who is the current chairperson and CEO of the board, is superannuating on August 31 and Kumar’s appointment will be effective from September 1. 

    “The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Satish Kumar, Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS), Member (Traction & Rolling Stock), Railway Board to the post of Chairman & Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Railway Board,” a government order said.

    It said his appointment is in the apex pay scale (pay level 17 as per the 7th Central Pay Commission). Kumar, a distinguished officer of the 1986 batch of the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME), has made significant contributions to Indian Railways throughout his illustrious career, spanning over 34 years, according to the Railway Board.

    “On 8th November 2022, he took charge as the General Manager of North Central Railway, Prayagraj, marking another milestone in his journey of public service,” an official from the Board said.

    “His educational background is as impressive as his professional achievements; he holds a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from the prestigious Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT), Jaipur, and has further enhanced his knowledge with a Post Graduate Diploma in Operation Management and Cyber Law from Indira Gandhi National Open University,” he said.

    Kumar began his career in Indian Railways in March 1988, and since then, he has served in various pivotal roles across different zones and divisions, bringing innovation, efficiency, and safety improvements to the railway system.

    “His initial postings included the Jhansi Division of the erstwhile Central Railway and the Diesel Locomotive Works (BLW) in Varanasi, where he honed his skills in locomotive engineering and maintenance.

    “He later served in the North Eastern Railway, Gorakhpur, and Patiala Locomotive Works, contributing to critical projects that enhanced the operational efficiency of these divisions,” a railway official said.

    A significant contribution of Kumar is his work on the Fog Safe Device, an innovation that has proven to be instrumental in ensuring safe train operations during foggy conditions, he said.

    “This device has become a critical tool for Indian Railways, significantly reducing the risks associated with reduced visibility during the winter months, particularly in the northern regions of India,” he added.

    According to Railway officials, Kumar’s efforts in improving this technology have earned him recognition and appreciation from various quarters.

    From April 2017 to April 2019, Kumar served as the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of the Lucknow Division on Northern Railway.

    Before he was appointed the General Manager of North Central Railway, Kumar served as the Senior Deputy General Manager and Chief Vigilance Officer of North Western Railway, Jaipur.

    “In recognition of his vast experience and contributions to Indian Railways, Satish Kumar was recently appointed as the Member (Traction and Rolling Stock – MTRS), a key position that oversees the critical aspects of traction and rolling stock across Indian Railways,” another official from the Railway Board said.

    “Following this, he ascended to the highest echelon of Indian Railways as the Chairman of the Railway Board, where he now plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of the railway network in India,” he added.

  • Railway Board asks zones to make sure fundamental facilities on the whole coaches amid summer season rush 

    Through PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Railway Board has written to all zonal railways to make sure fundamental facilities on the whole coaches in view of a surge in visitors because of the summer season rush.

    The letter to all of the zones comes days after a slew of pictures of general-class prepare coaches packed to the brim all over the summer time surfaced on social media.

    Written through Jaya Varma Sinha, Member, Operations and Industry Construction, the letter has requested the overall managers to study the preparations and make sure that passengers travelling in trains, particularly in Basic 2nd (GS) coaches, are supplied fundamental services and products.

    The GS-class coaches are connected to the entrance and rear ends of all mail and categorical trains.

    Directions were given to the overall managers of all of the zonal railways to organize inexpensive foods, ingesting water and merchandising trolleys close to unreserved coaches in any respect stoppages.

    The letter has identified a number of spaces for bettering the standard of services and products, together with making sure the cleansing of GS coaches at nominated stations.

    It has additionally been mentioned that complete watering of coaches will have to be ensured at nominated stations.

    “In case some trains are going through common scarcity of water, further watering stations to be known and really useful to Railway Board for attention. Deployment of OBHS (onboard housework) body of workers in GS coaches with territorial jurisdiction is also tested such that they shuttle in GS coaches between two preventing stations and go back through every other prepare in a hyperlink,” the letter mentioned.

    Sinha has additionally mentioned that the availability of train-side merchandising trolleys with financial system foods and ingesting water pouches will have to be ensured with deployment in entrance of GS coaches all over stoppages.

    “The passenger rush in trains, particularly in GS coaches, will have to be reviewed each day until the tip of the month and essential corrective movements be taken,” it mentioned.

    Whilst the Indian Railways most often witnesses lots of the summer season rush within the month of Might because of the summer season vacations, it’s in June that the go back rush is observed.

    NEW DELHI: The Railway Board has written to all zonal railways to make sure fundamental facilities on the whole coaches in view of a surge in visitors because of the summer season rush.

    The letter to all of the zones comes days after a slew of pictures of general-class prepare coaches packed to the brim all over the summer time surfaced on social media.

    Written through Jaya Varma Sinha, Member, Operations and Industry Construction, the letter has requested the overall managers to study the preparations and make sure that passengers travelling in trains, particularly in Basic 2nd (GS) coaches, are supplied fundamental services and products.

    The GS-class coaches are connected to the entrance and rear ends of all mail and categorical trains.

    Directions were given to the overall managers of all of the zonal railways to organize inexpensive foods, ingesting water and merchandising trolleys close to unreserved coaches in any respect stoppages.

    The letter has identified a number of spaces for bettering the standard of services and products, together with making sure the cleansing of GS coaches at nominated stations.

    It has additionally been mentioned that complete watering of coaches will have to be ensured at nominated stations.

    “In case some trains are going through common scarcity of water, further watering stations to be known and really useful to Railway Board for attention. Deployment of OBHS (onboard housework) body of workers in GS coaches with territorial jurisdiction is also tested such that they shuttle in GS coaches between two preventing stations and go back through every other prepare in a hyperlink,” the letter mentioned.

    Sinha has additionally mentioned that the availability of train-side merchandising trolleys with financial system foods and ingesting water pouches will have to be ensured with deployment in entrance of GS coaches all over stoppages.

    “The passenger rush in trains, particularly in GS coaches, will have to be reviewed each day until the tip of the month and essential corrective movements be taken,” it mentioned.

    Whilst the Indian Railways most often witnesses lots of the summer season rush within the month of Might because of the summer season vacations, it’s in June that the go back rush is observed.