A Loco Pilot makes use of the Kavach in South Central Railway wherein the brakes have been utilized robotically. File
| Picture Credit score: Nagara Gopal
Issues of safety are paramount after a spate of railway accidents, nevertheless, the Financial Survey 2023-24 launched on July 22 signifies restricted progress on safety-related works resembling deployment of automated prepare safety system Kavach and overhaul of signalling methods in any respect stations.
Kavach, an automated prepare safety (ATP) system, has been deployed on 1,465 route km within the South Central Railway, the Survey states. That is simply 2.14% of the whole railway community of 68,426 route km and seven,349 railway stations.
To date, out of 17 operational railway zones in India, eight zones have turn into free from mechanical signalling, in response to the Survey.
Capex deployment
The Financial Survey additionally states that the capex deployment in railways has elevated by 77% over previous 5 years, ranging to ₹2.62 lakh crore in FY24 with vital investments in building of latest strains, gauge conversion and doubling.
Nevertheless, until FY23, 2,981 railway stations had made the swap from mechanical signalling to digital interlocking system, solely as much as 40% of India’s 7,325 railway stations.
The Survey factors out that in FY24, 443 further stations made the swap, taking over the whole variety of stations which now have digital interlocking methods as much as 46%.
Digital interlocking (EI) methods have been launched in India 12 years in the past. “Till March 31, 2024, EI has been offered at 3,424 stations,” the Survey says.
One more signalling intervention Automated Block Signalling (ABS), is a system that controls the motion of trains between the blocks utilizing automated alerts, which helps trains working in identical path safely with none danger of collision on the rear-end.
The Financial Survey factors out that whereas the ABS is a confirmed low-cost signalling answer, it has been offered on 582 route km throughout FY24. Till March 31, 2024 for the reason that time it was commissioned, the ABS has been commissioned on 4,431 route km on high-density community routes. This includes 6.47% protection throughout the size of Indian Railways.
