Railways seeks foreign experts' help to prevent train fire

Giving top priority to prevent fire incidents in trains, Indian Railways has sought latest fire protection technology from foreign experts, including rail operators in Europe, Japan and Australia.
In a first-of-its-kind exercise, the railways will reach out to experts in nine countries in a two-day global conference beginning from April 24 to seek solutions to reduce fire cases in trains and make travel safer.
Experts from Italy, Germany, Australia, the UK, Japan, France, Belgium, Austria and Poland will participate in the conference on "Emerging Fire Protection Technologies for Rolling Stock", said a senior Railway Ministry official involved with fire prevention exercise.

Indian Railways has identified fire as one of the causes of accidents and it has started using fire-retardant furnishing materials, fire extinguishers and has also conducted trials with smoke and fire detection systems.
"We have made efforts to spread safety awareness by using fire posters and conducting training for onboard staff. Provision of emergency exit windows, modification of fuse boxes and conducting of internal safety audits are other endeavors in this area," said the official.
The official further said as safety is the highest priority for railways it has been decided to address this issue in a focused manner through this international conference to stay abreast with the world.