Page 3 - Railway Board

Railways union welcomes Unified Pension Scheme, seeks 8th Pay Commission

Various railway employee unions had been at the forefront of protests against the NPS and the demand for the restoration of OPS

To curb accidents, railways to install AI-enabled CCTV cameras on locos

To address the rising incidents of rail accidents across the country, the Railway Board will install CCTV cameras equipped with Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology on every locomotive and at key yards, according to officials. In a press briefing at Prayagraj Railway Junction, Railway Board Chairperson and CEO Jaya Verma Sinha said these cameras will help detect any unusual situations, "We are installing CCTV cameras with AI technology on every locomotive and at all significant yards," she said. Regarding railway track safety, Sinha said security agencies will continuously monitor the tracks during the Kumbh Mela to ensure no antisocial elements damage the tracks. Reviewing preparations for the upcoming Kumbh Mela, Sinha expressed confidence that infrastructure and capacity expansion projects will be completed before the event. She noted that during the last Kumbh Mela in 2019, around 530 special trains were operated. For the main bathing event in Kumbh 2025, approximately 900

Mamata slams govt over series of train accidents post Jharkhand derailment

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday slammed the central government over the series of train accidents and wondered whether there will be no end to Centre's callouseness. In a social media post, Banerjee wondered whether this is governance as the train accidents have become a regular affair. "Another disastrous rail accident! Howrah- Mumbai mail derails in Chakradharpur division in Jharkhand today early morning, multiple deaths and huge number of injuries are the tragic consequences, " She posted on X. "I seriously ask: is this governance? This series of nightmares almost every week, this unending procession of deaths and injuries on railway tracks: for how long shall we tolerate this? Will there be no end to the callousness of Government of India?" she added. Two persons were killed and 20 others injured as at least 18 coaches of the Howrah-Mumbai Mail derailed in Seraikela-Kharsawan district early on Tuesday, officials said. The accident occurred at 3.45 AM near

Western corridor likely to be completed by 2025, says DFCC MD RK Jain

Awaiting Railway Board nod for future corridors, says MD

Kanchenjunga express accident: Probe finds lapses at multiple levels

The Commissioner of Railway safety has said the Kanchanjunga express accident involving a goods train was "waiting to happen" due to lapses at multiple levels in managing train operations in automatic signal zones, and "inadequate counselling" of loco pilots and station masters. In its probe report into the June 17 accident that left 10 persons dead, including the loco pilot of the goods train, the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) also recommended implementation of the Automatic Train-protection system (KAVACH) on top priority. The CRS said wrong paper authority or T/A 912 to cross defective signals was issued to the loco pilot of the goods train involved by authorities concerned. Further, the paper authority didn't mention the speed that the goods train driver was supposed to follow while crossing the defective signal. Considering various lapses on part of the rail administration, the CRS said, "Due to improper authority and that too without adequate information, such an incide

Streamlined SOP around automatic signal failure, says railway board

Committee under RDSO prepping action plan to reduce signal failures

'Standardise loco pilot training for working in automatic signalling area'

The Railway Board has asked all its zones to bring uniformity in training regimes of loco pilots for working in an automatic signalling territory. The need for standardization has been felt after recent train accidents in which signal failure in automatic signalling territory emerged as one of the reasons, according to experts. Different zonal railways have been following different training regimes of running staff for working in automatic signalling territory. In order to standardize, zonal railways are advised to follow the training regime as enclosed, the board said in a circular dated July 13. The circular has various instructions under the subject 'Training regime standardisation for automatic signalling'. The Railway Board has suggested that the chief loco inspector (CLI) should hold one-day intensive counselling of loco pilots and their assistant regarding automatic signalling system every six months and this should be followed by a competency test with multiple choice ...

Preliminary report on Kanchanjunga train crash blames goods train crew

The majority opinion held that the accident may have occurred due to non-following of rules regarding passing automatic signals at danger position and possible excessive speed of the goods train

Kanchanjunga accident: ECR halts issuing of T/A 912, urges cautious driving

The East Central Railway has directed station masters in its area not to issue the note that authorises train drivers to cross signals in case of failure of the automatic signalling system, days after the Kanchanjunga Express-goods train collision in another zone killed 10 people. The decision to suspended the issuing of the T/A 912 written authority letter was taken at a safety meeting of the East Central Railway (ECR), according to a circular issued by the zone on June 21. On June 17, the goods train rammed into the passenger train in West Bengal's Darjeeling District that falls under the Northeast Frontier Railway zone. Drivers of both trains had been issued the T/A 912 as the automatic signalling on the Ranipatra station-Chattar Hat Junction was "defective", officials had said. While the Railway Board in its initial response had said the now-deceased goods train was over-speeding, driver unions have claimed there is no speed restrictions mentioned on the note and its member was

Kanchanjunga crash: Goods train was moving at 4 times permitted speed

Kanchanjunga train crash updates: As many as 10 people, including the driver of the goods train died in the accident, which took place near New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal

Kanchanjunga Express accident: At least 9 dead, 41 injured in collision

This is the fourth major rail accident in the past one year, including the triple train crash at Balasore, Odisha, in June 2023, claiming 293 lives

Safety commissioner to probe Kanchanjunga Express accident, says Vaishnaw

Vaishnaw added that measures will be taken to prevent a recurrence of the circumstances that led to the accident

Reduce unnecessary paperwork of drivers during train ops: Railway Board

The Railway Board has asked all its zones to reduce paperwork of drivers and assistant drivers while they are operating trains so that they can focus more on safety aspects and signals. "Loco pilot and assistant loco pilot have to maintain a memo book and an engine log book. While the memo book is a personal diary in which they note down details such as arrival-departure of each station, speed restrictions at various points, guards' details and all other things which they feel like while operating the train," a senior railway official said. "The engine log book is an official record which they fill at the time of relieving from the shift. Here, they mention their shift timings and all other issues which come across during operating the train," the official said. Loco pilots say that they have to maintain these personal records so that if any dispute comes up later on regarding any issue they can refer to their personal notebook to support their version. "So many things happen durin

Railways made Rs 6.85 cr irregular payment to foreign vendor: House panel

The Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) of Indian Railways purchased equipment from a foreign vendor worth Rs 6.85 crore in 2017 for diesel locomotives whose production was already stopped, according to a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report. The committee, which tabled its report in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, expressed surprise that the vendor had delivered the equipment beyond the delivery schedule in violation of the purchase agreement and BLW would have rejected the supply. However, it agreed to buy at approximately 36 per cent discounted price, the report said. The issue relates to the purchase of 660 channel air boxes in November 2018 for manufacturing diesel locomotives. According to the report, in view of increasing electrification of routes, the Railway Board decided in May 2016 to manufacture electric locomotives at BLW and this was started from February 2017. From 2019-20, the production of diesel locomotives at BLW was completely stopped. The committee said that in May 2016,

Railway Board approves Rs 244.77 cr to set up wagon workshop in Odisha

The Railway Board has approved Rs 244.77 crore for establishing a wagon periodic overhauling (PoH) facility at Kantabanji in Odisha's Balangir district. This decision comes in response to the demands of the local people, including public representatives, East Coast Railway (ECoR) said in a statement on Wednesday. Recognising the need for such a workshop in the region, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had assured local people that their demand would be met, it said. The detailed project report of the wagon PoH was submitted in September 2023. The facility will be set up on vacant land available with railways at Kantabanji. The ECoR said the workshop will help increase freight traffic in the region. This apart, the wagon maintenance will improve efficiency and reliability.

Texmaco Rail & Engineering secures Rs 1,374 cr order from Indian Railways

Texmaco Rail & Engineering Ltd on Wednesday said it has secured an order worth Rs 1,374.41 crore from the Ministry of Railways for manufacture and supply of 3,400 wagons. The order is to be executed in three tranches by December 2025, the company said in a regulatory filing. "Ministry of Railways (Railway Board) vide its Letter of Acceptance has awarded an order to the company for manufacture and supply of 3,400 BOXNS wagons," it said. The first tranche of 1,133 wagons is to be delivered by December 31, 2024 while the second tranche of 1,133 wagons is to be delivered by June 30, 2025. The last tranche of 1,134 wagons is to be delivered by December 31, 2025. The total value of the order is about Rs 1,374.41 crore, the company said.

Railways spent Rs 1 trillion on renewing safety assets: Ashwini Vaishnaw

RRSK was introduced in 2017-18 for the upgradation of critical safety assets with a corpus of Rs 1 trillion for five years

RBI authorises Bandhan Bank to disburse pension to retired railway workers

City-based private lender Bandhan Bank on Wednesday said it has been authorised by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to disburse pension to retired railways employees. In a statement, the bank said the lender will shortly integrate its system with the railways ministry to operationalise the pension disbursement process. The mandate will give the bank access to around 50,000 retirees each year across 17 zonal offices and eight production units of the railways across the country. Debraj Saha, head (government business), Bandhan Bank, said, "Indian Railways is one of the largest employers in the country. This will help pensioners to get access to competitive rates offered by the bank and other products of the lender.

Railways decides to stop engine compartment inspection by assistant drivers

To ensure safe operations, the Railway Board has decided to stop the age-old practice of engine compartment inspection by the assistant driver leaving the driver alone in a running train. Train drivers, also called loco pilots or LPs, have welcomed the decision, saying in view of the upgraded and modern cabin (engine), which triggers safety indication for any machine fault, manual inspection of various machine compartments inside the engine has become a redundant practice. "Taking safety as paramount into consideration, it has been decided by the competent authority that inspection of machine room/HT (High Tension) compartment after every neutral section by ALPs/Co LPs on run may be stopped, the board said in a letter addressed to the general managers of all railway zones. Loco pilots said that when engines that run on electricity with the help of overhead equipment (OHE) shift from one phase of electricity to another, they pass through a neural section where there is no power ...

Railway Board examining demand for giving one-time option to women

The Railway Board is examining the demand for giving a one-time option to women drivers and track maintainers to change their job category, and has asked its zones to share the numbers of such employees and pending applications. The board, in a communication to all railway zones on October 4, said the National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR) had requested for giving women track maintainers and running staff a one-time option to change their job category. "The matter is under examination in board's office and in this regards all zonal railways are requested to provide the number of female track maintainers and ALPs...and the number of requests pending as on date from female track maintainers or female running staff or female staff working in other categories for change of their assigned categories," the board's communication, accessed by PTI, read. Assistant train drivers are also known as assistant loco pilots (ALPs). Women track maintainers and ALPs seek to change their job