How Indian Railways is gearing up to deal with delays caused by foggy weather

 

• Indian Railways: Freight and passenger train movement severely affected due to poor visibility and safety protocols in place

Fog is a common weather phenomenon during the winter season especially in North India which also affects visibility. Limited visibility has been a major concern for the Indian Railways. The movement of goods and passenger trains has been severely affected due to safety protocols implemented including speed restrictions in poor visibility and fog-affected areas. As a result, trains arrive late at their destinations and often have to be rescheduled for the return journey or canceled due to unusual late running.

Indian Railways faces several problems due to dense fog which include rake imbalance due to abnormally late running of trains, slow mobility and long duration of working hours due to path constraints resulting in crew shortage, time Complete disorientation of the schedule, maintenance included. Slots in washing line complexes etc. due to late arrival of trains. Catering difficulties due to premature running of trains. Heavy rush of passengers waiting on platforms at major terminals. Non-availability of maintenance blocks due to capacity constraints. Increased cost of operations due to crew overtime and reduced asset utilization due to reduced speed and capacity constraints.

This year Indian Railways has taken steps which include new initiatives along with established old practices to reduce the adverse effect of fog on train operations. North Central Railway (NCR) of Indian Railways to install fog-safe devices on all locomotives to warn the crew about the upcoming signal location based on GPS even when the visibility is very low, so as to minimize the chances of missing the signal . At present there are 850 devices in Prayagraj circle. 558 devices have been provided in Jhansi circle and 376 in Agra circle.

All line patrolling staff have been provided with GPS based tracking system so that the effectiveness and beat of patrolling can be cross-checked. GPS tracker will be used covering all the three divisions.

Conversion of automatic signaling area to modified automatic area during fog to limit the number of trains between two stations.

All caution boards, whistle boards etc. have been provided with retro reflective coating for better visibility. Lime marking is also done on the track at regular intervals for ease of guidance of the crew in case of poor visibility during fog.

The loco/crew/rake link is rationalized and reviewed during the fog period. This is to ensure adequate comfort to the crew. Also cleaning and maintenance work can be done on the rolling stock so that the rakes are available on time for the next trip to reduce delays and maintain punctuality.

Use of Visibility Test Object (VTO) by the Station Master to assess the severity of fog in and around the station area.

Loco pilots are given special training to deal with the issues of low visibility. They are sensitized through intensive training sessions to use their intelligence and discretion to control the train speed keeping in view the prevailing conditions on the track at that point of time.

Apart from the crew of NCR, other crews from nearby railways like NER, NR, NWR, WCR, ECR etc. are given fog related training and assurance is taken on proper training including assessment before being allowed in NCR area during winters Is.