Railway board rises to maintain track record

In December 2016, zonal railways were asked to prepare plans for wiping out maintenance arrears but nothing much has moved forward.
Image used for representational purpose only. (File | PTI)
Image used for representational purpose only. (File | PTI)

NEW DELHI: The Utkal Express derailment that claimed 23 lives in August raised serious concerns over safety and maintenance of railway infrastructure. The Railway Board has found that repeated directions to zonal railways to ensure the stipulated three-hour block per day for maintenance of tracks was neglected.

The board has now directed all zones to work out a monthly timetable for traffic blockade to carry out maintenance work. The timetable should be sent every month to the board along with its compliance report. A circular was issued in December 2016 for fixed time traffic blocks for maintenance of assets.

The Safety Bogey

The board has found that repeated directions to zonal railways to ensure the stipulated three-hour block per day for maintenance of tracks was neglected

All zonal railways have been asked to work out a monthly timetable for traffic blockade to carry out maintenance work

The timetable should be sent every month to the board along with its compliance report

In December 2016, zonal railways were asked to prepare plans for wiping out maintenance arrears but nothing much has moved forward. Thirteen coaches of the Puri-Haridwar Utkal Express derailed at Khatauli near Muzaffarnagar after a piece of track was removed for maintenance and could not be welded back in time before the train passed. A mandatory traffic blockade for such work was denied due to heavy traffic on the particular section. 

“A joint programme for a minimum of three-hour blocks should be issued and compliance report should be sent to the Board. Further, the exercise should be carried out by zonal railways and where needed proposals requiring rescheduling of inter-railways trains be submitted to the Railway Board,” said an order issued by additional member, traffic, Ambrish Kumar Gupta.

“Globally three-four hours per day is designated for maintenance of tracks but it is very difficult to get the mandatory time in India. Many times, track maintenance work has to be carried out without traffic blockade which poses a threat to the safety of passengers,” said a senior official in the Railway Board.      
The Board has directed zonal railways to take into account integrated maintenance of assets for all the departments while preparing an annual plan for blocks and submit the same to the Board.

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