Fog device will make trains safe,not punctual: Railways

As part of measures adopted to ensure safety in heavy fog conditions,the Northern Railway has acquired 400 fog-safe devices that are to be installed in the driver’s cabin. Though the device does not inform the driver if a signal is green or red,it beeps when the train is approaching it. Till now,drivers had to constantly look out for approaching signals,officials said,adding that the device would help considerably in that regard.

Northern Railway spokesperson S K Sharma told Newsline,“The fog-safe device is only an additional safety measure. Though it cannot ensure punctuality during foggy weather,drivers will no longer have to run at a slow speed — looking out for signals in the fog. They will have to slow down only when the device alerts them. This will probably save a few minutes.”

Senior Railway officials also stated that the device should not be expected to speed up train journeys. “It will be more effective in preventing accidents. Moreover,the signalling system in the Northern Railway has been changed from automatic to semi-automatic,and this may cause further delays,” an official said.

Under the automatic signalling system,at least four trains could run between two signals. Now,with the shift to the semi-automatic system,only two trains can be accommodated in that stretch. While this would ensure that there is adequate distance between two trains,preventing the possibility of collisions,the move may lead to further congestion and delays in the railway schedule.

At present,the fog-safe devices are being installed only on trains running from Delhi to Ambala. Officials said that as there are as many as 800 trains in the Northern Railway zone,the 400 devices that have been procured are far from adequate.

However,Sharma said that more fog-safe devices would be acquired if the feedback is positive.

Meanwhile,the Northern Railway continues to grapple with heavy passenger rush due to several cancellations. “For now,we have restored all the eight trains that were scheduled for cancellation from December 15 to January 15 because fog conditions have improved. To handle the other cancellations,we have attached coaches from affected trains to those that are still running. There are quite a few east-bound trains that have been cancelled,so we have tried adding more coaches on the ones that are still running,” Sharma said.