RRB Practice 17

Railway safety is the paramount concern of Indian Railways, and over the decades the organisation has invested substantially in systems, technology, and training to reduce accidents and protect the lives of passengers, railway staff, and members of the public. Among the most significant safety hazards on the Indian railway network are unmanned level crossings, points where roads and tracks intersect without any gate, attendant, or automatic warning system to stop road vehicles when a train approaches. Historically, thousands of unmanned level crossings existed across the network, accounting for a significant proportion of the rail accidents causing fatalities. A sustained programme of eliminating unmanned level crossings through the provision of gates with attendants, construction of road under-bridges and road over-bridges, and closure of unnecessary crossings has dramatically reduced the number of unmanned crossings over the past decade. The Train Collision Avoidance System, commercially known as Kavach, is an automatic protection system that uses radio frequency identification, ultra-high frequency radio communication, and GPS to monitor the position and movement of trains and automatically apply brakes to prevent collisions between two trains approaching each other on the same line. The system also provides automatic brake application when a train passes a signal at danger, preventing signal passing accidents. Kavach is being progressively deployed across high-density routes on the Indian Railways network, with the Government of India committing to accelerated implementation following major accidents. The Linke Hofmann Busch design coaches and the more recent Train 18 based Vande Bharat Express coaches incorporate integrated safety features including anti-climbing devices that prevent coaches from overriding each other in the event of a collision, fire-resistant materials, and emergency exit windows. The Guard van at the rear of every goods train and the brake van on passenger trains serves an important safety function, carrying the train guard who maintains communication with the driver, monitors the train during transit, and can apply the guard's brake in an emergency. The guard also carries detonators and fog signals for use in emergencies to protect the train from following traffic. Fog safe devices installed in locomotive cabs provide the driver with audible alerts at the approach of signals during periods of dense fog, a major safety hazard on northern Indian railways during winter months when visibility can fall to near zero. The Railway Accident Investigation process, conducted by the Commissioner of Railway Safety under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, provides an independent investigation of major railway accidents and makes recommendations for improvements in safety management. The Safety Integrity Level certification of signalling systems, the adoption of international standards for rolling stock design, and the training of loco pilots in defensive driving techniques are among the multi-pronged approaches being pursued to bring Indian Railway's safety performance to international standards.