A Feature Article by Dr. Frank Wingler December, 2016

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HOW MUCH SAFETY ON INDIAN RAILWAYS?

Are Accidents necessary before Politicians and Managers understand that more has to be invested in Safety??

What is the value of one Passenger killed by an Accident?

Modern proactive Track Maintenance Strategies

0ver 150 killed Passengers, Indore-Patna Derailment-Disaster at Pukhrayan; District Kanpur, 20.11.16

It is the deadliest train Accident in India since 1999, when the Gaisal Train Disaster claimed 290 lives.

Lets hope that Indian Railways will win the everlasting WARE AGAINST unwanted BAD FATAL EVENTS

and that FAILURES like at Pukhrayan will lead to FAR REACHING REFORMS.

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FOREWORD

HOW MUCH SAFETY ON INDIAN RAILWAYS?

On 20th Nov. 2016 over 150 passengers got killed at a Derailment-Disaster on the Jhansi-

Kanpur Link at Pukhrayan. It is the deadliest train accident in India since 1999, when the Gaisal Train Disaster claimed 290 lives.

In the 6-year period between 2009-10 and 2014-15, there were a total of 803 accidents in Indian Railways killing 620 people and injuring 1855 people. 46.5% of these accidents were due to derailment of trains. The number of train accidents per million kilometres run has continuously decreased from 2009-10 to 2013-14. It again increased in 2014-15. The number of causalities also increased in 2014-15.

The technical Knowledge, Competence, Standards and Designs are present and at hand, how to make Tracks and Rolling Stocks safe. The challenge is to realise things. Organizational Failures as well Underfunding hamper implementing Knowledge and Competence throughout on all Tracks and Rolling Stocks. The war against hazards cannot be won only by preparing a short section between Nizzamudin and Agra for the Gatimaan Express to run with maximal speed of 160 kmph.

If there is a fatal Railway Accident, Ministers are quick to shift their responsibility for the wellbeing of the Technical Organisation to so-called “Frontliners” as the “Culprits for the bad unwanted event declaring “Strictest possible action will be taken against those who could be responsible for the accident”. It is a matter of fact that after a bad unwanted event politicians or managers choose strong words to demonstrate their strength.

In modern Safety and Risk Management every unwanted bad event has to be regarded as the outcome of ORGANIZATIONAL FAILURES. A Railway Minister has to be regarded being responsible that the Technical Organisation will be navigated within the Safety Space to become increasing resistant against Human Fallibility, prevailing latent unsafe Conditions and Failures in the System. He has to be regarded being responsible that appropriate recourses and well trained manpower are allocated in the everlasting war for more Safety in order to reach by a good management and practise the ULTIMATE GOAL TO PREVENT THAT PASSENGERS GET KILLED OR INJURED BY RAILWAY ACCIDENTS. Upper echelons want to see more and faster trains running and revenues coming at the lowest possible expense-level rather to spend too much money in upgrading the infrastructure and maintenance for safety. It is only after a bad accident that protection comes for a short period.

The costs for fatalities are for INR relatively low. The granted compensations often even do not cover the funeral costs or the treatment-costs of injured people in private hospitals. Over the decades INR got used to live with the Railway Accidents killing and injuring people.

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Indian Railways is caught in a VICIOUS CIRCLE governed by Newtons`s Law Mechanisms: Bad poor-quality tracks wear and ruin rolling stocks and worn and ruined rolling stocks further deteriorate the already bad poor-quality tracks. Track irregularities bring the ICF Coaching Stocks into oscillation resonance. Oscillating rolling Stocks further deteriorate the track-structures. To escape from this VICIOUS CIRCLE input of Capital Investment and Recruitment of sufficient well trained Manpower are needed in order to achieve Quality of Tracks and Rolling Stocks. Quality is no Luxury. It cuts overall Life Cycle Costs and reduces the cases of unwanted bad events.

Technical Guidance how to achieve Track Quality can be obtained (amongst from other sources) from the handbook INDIAN RAILWAY TRACKS – a TRACK ENGINEERING COMPENDIUM, free to download under the rubric PUBLICATIONS from the website: http://www.drwingler.com.

The following technical paper delineates some DEFENCE LAYERS against culminating hazards bursting into Track-Defect related Train Accident /Disaster.

On political pressure many new trains and trains with higher speed are pushed on the old track-structures without adequately counterbalancing the increased strain on the track by appropriate Capital Investment for Infrastructure, Track-upgrading, -renewal, -strengthening and -fortification. In consequence we can observe an increase in Train-Derailments.

In consequence of the sad fatal 20th Nov. Derailment-Disaster the Safety and Risk Management of INR has to be shifted from the present BUREAUCRATIC CULTURE to a GENERATIVE CULTURE, where failures lead to FAR REACHING REFORMS flanked by CAPITAL INVESTMENT in Infrastructure, Track-upgrading, -renewal, -strengthening and –fortification to match the increasing traffic load the tracks have to carry.

In the ANNEXURE-I and II Safety Drives of the Safety Railway Board and Recommendations of the Safety Management Board, to prevent Railway Accidents, are copied.

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HOW MUCH SAFETY ON INDIAN RAILWAYS?

Are Accidents necessary before Politicians and Managers understand that more has to be invested in Safety??

What is the value of one Passenger killed by an Accident? Modern proactive Track Maintenance Strategies

More than 22 Mio passengers and commuters travel per day on Indian Railways.INR runs nearly 12 700 passenger trains on a route-length of nearly 68 000 km.

In conjunction with the 20th November Derailment Disaster of the Indore-Patna Express at Pukrayan in the Kanpur District INR got again worldwide under criticism because of its poor SAFETY RECORDS.

In the 6-year period between 2009-10 and 2014-15, there were a total of 803 accidents in Indian Railways killing 620 people and injuring 1855 people. 46.5% of these accidents were due to derailment of trains; see Accidents in Indian Railways: Review of the last 6 years - Factly; https://factly.in/indian-railway-accidents-statistics-review-last-5-years/ .

The trains of the Indian Railways are clocking more passenger kilometres each year. From 2.08 lakh million kilometres in 1980-81, the number of passenger kilometres reached 11.47 lakh million kilometres in 2014-15. The number of train accidents per million kilometres run is an important parameter to understand the occurrence of accidents and if there has been any improvement over the years. This parameter has continuously decreased from 2009-10 to 2013-14. It again increased in 2014-15. From 0.17 in 2009-10, it has come to down to 0.10 in 2013-14, a reduction of over 40% in 5 years. But the parameter again increased to 0.11 in 2014-15.

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The ratio-number of casualties decreased to 0.02 in 2013-14, but it increased to 0.05 in 2014-15 because of a higher casualty figure:

Passenger deaths from rail accidents have remained a regular occurrence in India, while INR has been unable to spare the funds for safety-related works. The Anil Kakodkar headed safety committee report released in February 2012 outlined an estimated spending of Rs. 1.03 trillion over a five year period to address issues, but has since gathering dust.

British Rail following strictly the guidance of the Rail Safety & Standards Board, rssb, based on the doctrines and methodologies of J. Reason, and investing in upgrading of infrastructure and track quality, had in the last 11 year not a single fatal passenger case.

It is sad to ascertain bad and unwanted Railway Accidents as necessary for Politicians and Managers to fall over the edge, before they know where it is.

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Instead to investigate into the prevailing UNSAFE CONDITIONS, FAILURES IN THE SYSTEM and ORGAISATIONAL SHORTCOMINGS as the parents of the unwanted bad events, they like to search for “culprits” to take “strictest possible actions against those, who have found to be guilty”.

How remote from MODERN METHODS OF RISK MANAGEMENT sometimes Politicians can be, has been demonstrated by the Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu with his twitter comment on the 20th November Derailment with over 150 killed passengers of the Indore-Patna Express 19321 near Pukhrayan on the Jhansi-Kanpur Link:

“Strictest possible action will be taken against those who could be responsible for accident”

as if the bad unwanted accidents happen, because there are “bad people”, which can be made responsible, when it is too obvious that poor track quality because of underfunding is mostly the prevailing unsafe condition leading to derailments, for which the Management of Indian Railways with its Failures in the System and with its Organizational Shortcomings in the System Railway has to be regarded as responsible. Many technical managers belief that the main threat to the integrity of their assets is posed by the behavioural and motivational shortcomings of those at the so-called “sharp end” or “frontline”. One cannot change the human condition, but one can change the conditions under which people work. In modern Safety and Risk Management one views human lapses and malfunctions as a consequence than a cause. One has to look at the unwanted events as the outcome of organizational failures and not as the outcome of the "bad" performance and behavior of “bad people”. It is a matter of facts that very quick after a bad unwanted event Managers or Ministers choose strong words to demonstrate their strength; see also:

“THE UNHAPPY LOT OF GENERAL MANAGERS AND TOP MANAGERS OF RAILWAYS”

in the technical Railway Paper “RISK and HUMAM ERROR MANAGEMENT” on page 46; free for download from the website http://www.drwingler.com; see also see James Reason, MANAGING THE RISKS OF ORGANIZATIONAL ACCIDENTS, Ashgate Publishing, Farnham, UK, ISBN 978 1 84014 105 4; THE HUMAN CONTRIBUTION, Ashgate Publishing, Farnham, UK, ISBN 978-0-754- 7402-3; A LIFE IN ERROR, Ashgate Publishing, Farnham, UK, ISBN 978-1-472 418418, 2013:

“Managers possess mostly more productive rather than protective skills. Senior Managers are not specially trained, educated and studied how to manage accidental risks, about the nature of accidents, the prevailing latent unsafe Conditions or Failures in the System (FIS) with often far reaching history, which are the parents or background of bad events and the accident producing conditions. FIS are the PATHOGENES in the

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System. Managers have not studied the state-to-the-art safety subjects. There is no procedure setting for the nomination of a GMR or CEO if he is trained in the methodologies how to achieve the Railway’s goal for safer train operation and less mishaps. They follow mostly, what or who they personally believe is good or bad.

Top Managers come and go. Commitments and Professionalism fluctuate with them in short periods.

Top managers only seldom fully understand the “true nature of the safety war” and they are mostly not aware that according the Nernst Theorem of Physics “Entropy wins in the end” telling: Over a lengthy period without bad events Safety Culture and Awareness for Hazards deteriorate.

Failures in the System, FIS, for which the top Management is responsible, are the “parents of bad events”. They are like a swamp, where “Risk Mosquitoes” breed. But not all Managers get grip on this “evil” in the system. Top Managers need therefore professional Safety Advisors, Commissioners or Safety Boards/Regulators at hand, who are fluent in the state-to-the art methodologies and techniques and acquainted with the tools utilized nowadays worldwide by Technical Organisations with high Risk Potential in Transport, Shipping Companies, Aviation, Space Technology, Nuclear and Thermal Power Generation, Oil Exploration, Chemical Industries”.

Human Factors Analysis should be used not to pin "culprits to be severely punished", but to understand, why things go wrong and which Factors (prevailing unsafe Conditions/Failures in the System/Organizational Failures) contribute to the bad unwanted incidents; see “Understanding Human Factors – a Guide for the Railway Industry” of the Rail Safety & Standards Board, UK, under: http://www.rssb.co.uk.

Upper echelons in India want to see more trains on the track and that they run faster. With more trains and with higher speed the stress on the track increase over-linear. Higher stress on the tracks has to be counterbalanced by higher initial TRACK QUALITY and higher input in MAINTENANCE; see J.S.Mundrey/F.Wingler INDIAN RAILWAY TRACKS - a TRACK ENGINEERING COMPENDIUM, which one can find free for download on the website: http://www.drwingler.com under “PUBLICATION”.

Underfunding in Track Quality and Maintenance and overusing routes will always backslash in Railway Accidents and Mishaps. And INR remain caught in this vicious circle.

Rail Fractures on the INR Network are still an overriding concern. Rail Fractures in particular can have disastrous consequences in Passenger Train Derailments.

Under a GENERATIVE SAFETY-CULTURE bad events should lead to FAR REACHING REFORMS!

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Ongoing efforts have resulted over the last years in a drop in recorded fractures, but the absolute numbers of about 6000 per year are still far from reassuring; see contribution on page 3 of RAIL BUSINESS [FOCUS INDIA], Vol. 5, Issue 24, May 2014; Rail biz India May 2014 by Naveen Sharma - issuu https://issuu.com/naveensharma/docs/railbiz-may-2014 .

“IMPROVING THE INSIDE RELIABILITY OF RAILS & RAIL WELDS” has been a topic of the National Technical Seminar of the IPWE held Jan.11th & 12th 2013 at Chennai. The EFFECT OF WHEEL DEFECTS ON RAIL FRACTURES has been highlighted by the Professor for Track, IRICEN-Pune, Shri Nilmani. “RAIL WELD FAILURES and RAIL WELD MANAGING” has been a topic of the National Technical Seminar of the IPWE held Jan.29th & 30th 2015 at New Delhi.

The author had attended both seminars. The TECHNICAL COMPETENCE, STANDARTS and DESIGNS on IMPROVING THE INSIDE RELIABILITY OF RAILS & RAIL WELDS amongst Indian Track Engineers are present and at hand. It seems to be because of ORGANIZATIONAL SHORTCOMINGS and UNDERFUNDINGS OF TRACK MAINTENANCE that the well known technologies and methodologies are not fully implemented on the entire Track in order to bring down the number of the unwanted rail- and weld-failures related accidents.

13 killed Passengers; Bangalore-Ernakulum Express; Derailment Disaster near Hosur, 12th May 2015

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18 killed Passengers, Diwa-Sawantawadi Passenger Train Derailment Disaster, Konkan Railway; 04th May 2014

INR is plagued of lengthy track kilometres with old 13 m Rails welded to longer panels by Aluminothermic welding, often of poor quality. Often there is a lack of supervision of the welding process. Alleviation is coming from longer 121 milled rails, Flash-Butt welded either in the Steel Factory to 363 m panels or by mobile Flash-Butt welding machines on the track to LWR/CWR.

The recent Derailment-Disaster near Kanpur with over 150 killed passenger shows again how far away INR is

from SAFE INFRASTRUCTURE and proper maintained high quality RAILTRACKS on all its routes;

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from the “ULTIMATE GOAL TO PREVENT RAILWAY ACCIDENTS” (seeAryan Bhushan, M.M. Agarwal, INDIAN RAILWAY SAFETY – UltimateGoal to prevent Railway Accidents, revised Edition 2015, Bahiri BrothersPublishers & Book Sellers, Delhi, 2015);

from implementing modern state-to-the-art Methodologies of RISKMANAGEMENT (see James Reason, MANAGING THE RISKS OFORGANIZATIONAL ACCIDENTS, Ashgate Publishing, Farnham, UK,ISBN 978 1 84014 105 4; THE HUMAN CONTRIBUTION, AshgatePublishing, Farnham, UK, ISBN 978-0-754-7402-3; A LIFE IN ERROR,Ashgate Publishing, Farnham, UK, ISBN 978-1-472 418418, 2013; andFrank Wingler, RISK MANAGEMENT, a Guide for upper Echelons of SriLanka Railways in RISK & HUMAN ERROR MANAGEMENT andACCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS, based on the DOCTRINS of J. REASONSand Studies & Researches on the NATURE OF HUMAN ERROR, privatepublication; free for download from http://www.drwingler.com.

0ver 150 killed Passengers, Indore-Patna Derailment-Disaster at Pukhrayan; District Kanpur, 20.11.16

How much Safety on INR

INR as a governmental technical Organisation rather than a private undertaking cannot run into danger to reach perhaps bankruptcy by losses incurred by hazard ventures or catastrophes. The question for INR is, how far unwanted bad events are acceptable and how much should be invested into avoidance of accidents and near missed accidents. As already mentioned managers possess mostly more productive rather than protective skills. They want to see the trains running and revenues coming at the lowest possible expense-level rather to spend too

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much money for safety. It is only after a bad accident that protection comes for a short period.

Since the costs for fatalities are relatively low for INR and the loss of the old ICF coaches tolerable, the readiness is relatively low to invest much more in SAFETY by eliminating or rectifying the prevailing UNSAFE LATENT CONDITIONS, THE FAILURES IN THE SYSTEM and the ORGANIZATIONAL SHORTCOMINGS, which allow the bad events to happen.

Over the decades INR is used to live with the Railway Accidents killing and injuring people. In aviation such a low safety record would not be tolerated. But in Indian Rail Transport such a low safety record has nearly no far reaching consequences.

Managers and Politicians are seldom aware, that the death toll in case of a Train Crash rises over-linear by the square of the Speed Increase.

The compensation granted to the next kin of deceased and to critical injured people are low and even often do not cover the funeral costs or the costs of treatments in private hospitals.

The question under humanitarian aspect is, what the value of a human being in a cost-benefit-analysis is. The humanitarian aspect does not appear in such a costs-benefit analysis.

Investment in Rail Safety is therefore in India not a business as it would be, if the costs of fatalities would be much higher or the value of human live would be valued much higher under humanitarian considerations.

At moment the aspirations are HIGH-SPEED, SEMI-HIGH-SPEED and SPEED-INCREASE rather than to bring all the tracks of the 68 000 route km on a safe high quality level.

The Topic of the forthcoming International Technical Seminar of I.P.W.E (India) held on 12th, 13th January 2017 in Mumbai, is:

“Challenges in Design and Maintenance of Track under Mixed Traffic Regime of Semi-High-Speed and Heavy Axle-Load”.

It sounds like a challenge on the ingenuity of Indian Track Engineers to find a low cost solution for the “Quadrature of the Circle” or the search for a pig, which gives the same time “meat, milk, eggs and fur”.

DEFENCE LAYERS against culminating hazards bursting into Track-Defect related Train Accident /Disaster are nowadays:

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MODERN PROACTIVE TRACK MAINTENANCE STRATEGIES

Modern Track assets management strategies collect as many as possible data as essential components for a PROACTIVE APROACH to ensure predictability of infrastructure behaviour. Anticipation of futures behaviour has great potential for shifting the focus of maintenance from “REACTIVE” to a “PROACTIVE” Policy. The vision of a future orientated maintenance is based on the capability to identify damage before it actually develops to become dangerous for traffic and costly for maintenance and repairs. The basic of a proactive Life Cycle Cost Management Approach is to define the right intervention at the right time and to deal with the near future. Leading Railways for this approach are the German (D), Austrian (A) and Swiss (CH) Railways operating together under the “DACH” (“Roof”) project.

ONLINE DATA COLLECTION AND PROCESSING TRAIN BASED IN-SERVICE MONITORING for TARGET PLANING OF

MAINTENANCE; Making use of Newton’s Law Mechanics

The prerequisite for a proactive Life Cycle Cost Management Approach with the evolution of the development prognosis is the all-encompassing data collection of the continuous online condition monitored on all track assets; see K.U.Wolter et. al. in Eisenbahntechnische Rundschau, ETR, 7+8, p. 32-36, 2014, eurailpress, Hamburg, Germany.

The continuous surveillance of Rail Tracks with Recording and Monitoring Systems mounted on regularly running trains is on increasing focus. The Institute for Transport System Technology of the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) conducts the development of modern Data Management Systems for collecting, transferring and telemetry. The data must be precisely geo-referenced according the track locations. On lines with sufficient global satellite reception the monitoring cars communicate directly with the central data-bank. The data can also be locally stored and transmitted in intervals by WILAN over the internet at Stations or Depots. For lower data volumes the mobile telephone networks can be used. The System is under trial on Swiss Sections; Lars Johannes et. al. in DER EISENBAHNINGENIEUR, EI, 11, November 2015, p. 12, eurailpress.

The “Continuous Track Alignment Parameter Monitoring” in programmes for TRAIN BASED IN-SERVICE MONITORING for TARGET PLANING OF MAINTENANCE make use of NEWTON`s Law Mechanics.

Newton`s FIRST LAW suggests that any change of velocity of a body under consideration must be associated with the counter-action of a resultant force, which acts on his body. This in turn suggests a relationship between the resultant force and the acceleration of the body. Newton assumed by his SECOND LAW the very simple relation that the resultant force, which acts on the body and causes acceleration, is linear related. The THIRD LAW is the LAW OF ACTION

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AND REACTION. It states that to every action or force there is an equal and opposite reaction or force. In other words, when a body (rail- vehicle) exerts a force on a second body (rail-track), in consequence the second body (rail-track) exerts a numerically equal but opposite force on the first body (rail-vehicle). The laws are useful to analyse mutual track-vehicle interactions and to determine track irregularities and track defects by vehicle mounted ACCELEROMETERS.

This means, by measuring vehicle accelerations, the cause in form of track irregularities can be determined. And by continuous track monitoring with repeated runs over the same track, the development of track-defects and track-irregularities, the development over the time of such defects and irregularities can be measured and the point of necessary interactions by repair or maintenance can be forecasted.

German Railways equipped one of its Intercity Trains with acceleration-sensors mounted on the axle-box for transmitting during scheduled train runs in-service monitoring data of vertical and horizontal alignment defects as so-called “TRAIN BASED IN SERVICE MONITORING for TARGET PLANING OF MAINTENANCE”. This ICE transmits daily the acceleration rates cum position on its route. The computer evaluates a history diagram, from which a forecast for the further deterioration rate can be estimated.

Axle-Box mounted Accelerometer

By the wheel/bogie acceleration rates values the running trains will transmit in future to the PW-Engineer the telemetric data of developing track defects with

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their exact location, how the defects develop with the time under given traffic load and with what rates (dynamic of deterioration). The PW-Engineer will get alarm, when he will have to interfere by repair or maintenance. This method includes also the monitoring of turnouts.

The standard ICF passenger coaching stock of INR is commissioned for a maximal speed of 110 kmph. The new Alstom designed stocks of LHB coaches, commissioned for 160 kmph, with the pivot-less Flexi-Coils Suspension Fiat Bogies, have a different oscillation frequency, and the vertical and horizontal sways are better damped:

Fiat Bogie of LHB Coach

The problem with the ICF standard passenger coaching stock is the “nosing” in resonance with horizontal track alignment irregularities of welded 13 m rail panels. If one sleeps in a sleeper coach at one of the coach-ends, one get often terrible disturbed by these oscillating horizontal movements (nosing jerks). In Response according Newton’s Third Law: “ACTIO = REACTIO” the track alignment gets further lateral and horizontal disturbed.

The nosing of the Indian ICF standard passenger coaches is a big problem for the INR Tracks. The remedies are longer milled rails, better aligned welds and new longer coaches with better damped more track friendly bogies. But exchanging the fleet of a stock of over 1 lakh cannot be performed in short period. On LWR/CWR, constituting of welded 13 m rails (often poor aligned welds), Speed Increase is hampered because of the track unfriendly running quality of the ICF standard Coach stocks on those LWR/CWR. Not the longer new LHB coaches with Fiat type bogies disturb the track at up to 160 kmph, but the old standard coaches running max. 110 kmph are the track distorting culprits when running at the lower speed of 80 to 90 kmph.

Following “NEWTON`S LAW MECHANISM” the acceleration rate ‘g’ values can be measured by an accelerometer, positioned as close as possible over the

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centre of the bogie or better direct on the axle box. They transmit INDICES for the TRACK DISTORTING FORCES the rolling stocks are exerting onto the rails. If a value of 0.35 ‘g’ for the horizontal acceleration is measured, this means that at the relevant speed a 120 tonnes locomotive will exert with its relevant bogie a horizontal (lateral) counter vector-force of 60 x 0.35 x 10 = 210 kN onto the rail (note that 1 metric ton generates a force of say 10 kN). The cumulative track torturing forces of consecutive running trains can print dangerous UNDULATIONS into the track, as demonstrated. Once this self-destroying Rail-Wheel process had been initiated by a certain degree of lateral and horizontal track distortion, the deterioration process continues with increasing (logarithmical) rate (velocity). Short wave length undulations are therefore the most dangerous. Measuring of accelerometer indices with schedule passenger trains is a most valuable, effective, cheap and easy mode in order to describe the quality, state-of-affairs and the development of defects over the time of a track. The positioning can be determined with GPS location detection.

According US Standards horizontal acceleration indices over 0.35 'g’ and vertical indices over 0.5 '̕g' of rolling stocks, especially of heavy locomotives, are regarded as unhealthy for the track.

Since the acceleration rates are speed dependent, train-speed has to be reduced, when the rates become intolerable high.

What counts is not so much the absolute value in mm of a misalignment measured by a TRACK RECORDING CAR, but what counts is the effect of the misalignment or track defect on the running wheel at given train speed, how the wheels jump over the defects and respond with what acceleration and deceleration values (in terms of corresponding extra impression forces measured in [MN/m²]) inflicting according the Newton`s Law Mechanism further damage to the track in vertical as well in horizontal directions.

The DYNAMICS of the Rolling Stocks on the Track is what counts!!

See also Perspectives on Railway Track Geometry Condition Monitoring from in-Service Railway Vehicles; http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00423114.2015.1034730

The Ministry of Railways (Railway Board) has launched 2015 a call for Expression of Interest for a global tender for ONBOARD CONDITION MONITORING SYSTEM for Indian Railway Rolling Stocks monitoring and transmitting amongst other data the progression of Track Defects and Wheel Conditions like unwanted Vibration Abnormalities and abnormal Running Behaviours; see On Board Condition Monitoring Systems for Indian Railway Rolling ... www.indianrailways.gov.in/.../Ver%2017_Indian%20Railways%20Specification%20P...

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Test Methods for Defects in the Rail are: Ultrasonic Testing with Test Trains. Eddy-Current Testing with Test Trains. Video Recording with Tests Trains.

TRACK SUB-STRUCTURE DIAGNOSTICS

Short wave vertical deviations have mostly their reason in poor ballast conditions; long wave vertical deviations are mostly caused by formation defects. Ground Penetration Radar is a method to detect formation troubles.

For more details about MAINTENANCE, INSPECTION and TOLERANCES see: J.S.Mundrey/F.Wingler in INDIAN RAILWAY TRACKS - a TRACK ENGINEERING COMPENDIUM, which one can find free for download on the website: http://www.drwingler.com under “PUBLICATION”.

Cleaning up the Debris from the Pukhrayan Derailment Disaster

________________________________________

Lets hope that Indian Railways will win the everlasting WARE AGAINST unwanted BAD FATAL EVENTS

and that BREAK DOWNS OF SAFETY like at Pukhrayan will lead to FAR REACHING REFORMS.

4 Killed Passengers; Delhi-Dibrugarh Rajdhani Derailment near Golden Ganj, Bihar; 25th June 2015

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Post Scriptum:

In aftermath of the 20th November 2016 Pukhrayan Derailment Disaster the Safety Railway Board of Indian Railways has given over the Safety Information Management System (SIMS) as a Circular a "Safety Driver to prevent Accidents", dated 30.11.2016, and the Circular of the Safety Information Management System (SIMS) "Safety Drive on Derailments" dated 31.08.2016 under: Safety Information Management System (SIMS) - Indian Railways ... rct.indianrail.gov.in/. which are inserted on the folowing ANNEXURE-I; see also the Recommendations made in Paragraph 27.09 "Measures to prevent Accidents" in the Disaster Management Plan from April 2016 by Government of India, Ministry of Railways, Railway Board, ANNEXURE-II.

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ANNEXURE-I

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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

(RAILWAY BOARD)

DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLAN

APRIL, 2016

ANNEXURE-2

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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

(RAILWAY BOARD)

No.2015/Safety(DM)/6/14 New Delhi, dated 19.04.2016

Addressed to:

As per list attached.

Sub: Disaster Management Plan- 2016 for the Ministry of Railways.

Disaster Management Plan- 2016 of the Ministry of Railways as approved

by the Railway Board is enclosed for information and necessary action.

-sd-

( P. Srinivas)

Director (Safety)III

Railway Board

www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/view_section.jsp?id=0,1,304,366,389

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27.09.1 Signalling

(a) Track Circuiting

Track Circuit is one of the most important safety aids provided at the stations, which has

reduced collisions in station area. A major thrust was given to track circuiting at stations. In the

last five years, on an average 1000 locations per year have been provided with track circuits and

27.09 Measures to prevent Accidents

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98% of the stations on A, B & C routes and 94% of all BG routes have been covered so far. Plan

to provide this device at all stations, mostly on Branch lines, is in place.

(b) Provision of Centralized Operation of Points and Signals by Electrical/Electronic

Interlocking with MACLS is the most important system for safety, efficiency & flexibility in

yard operation and for incremental line capacity and has been steadily provided on Indian

Railways. Route Relay/Panel/Electronic Interlocking (RRI/PI/EI) along with MACLS have been

provided at 5317 stations (85% of total stations on BG route). Replacement of old outdated,

multi-cabin mechanical signaling equipment are required to be replaced and upgraded by using

electrical/electronic interlocking system in a phased manner.

(c) Elimination of Semaphore Signalling is necessary for improving visibility and

efficiency of signaling system on these stations. There are 554 stations on IR network which are

equipped with Semaphore Signalling. Out of these, 280 stations are on BG network. These

stations are taken up for elimination of Semaphore Signalling by Colour Light Signalling with

Centralized Panel Interlocking.

(d) Provision of Isolation and Elimination of rudimentary Interlocking and Upgradation of

Standard Interlocking has assumed importance with growing traffics and speeds after a few

serious accidents took place in recent years. Yard layouts and the corresponding signaling

system at some stations requires upgradation. Main line is not isolated for run through trains and

complete track circuiting is not available resulting in imposition of speed restrictions in Yard and

at times, an unsafe situation is created. Upgradation of Standard of Interlocking with provision

of Standard layout with Isolation will be completed at the earliest.

(e) Token Ball Instruments

Token Ball Instruments are outdated equipment still in use on Indian Railway network.

A decision in this regard has been taken to eliminate Token Ball Instruments by Tokenless Block

Working within a time frame of 3 years (March 2018). There are 513 Block sections having

1026 Block Instruments on BG network ,which are planned to be eliminated.

(f) Block Proving by Axle-Counters

All new works of Panel Interlocking (PI)/(EI) will be provided with Block proving by

Axle-Counters device, to prevent collisions in the block sections due to some `parted' load being

left out. BPAC devices at existing PI/EI/RRI stations are planned to be completed during XII

Plan.

(g) Centralized On-line Monitoring, Predictive Maintenance and Asset Management

System with Digital Mapping for every signaling installation to improve system availability

besides providing event analysis tools.

27.09.2 Train Management System (TMS) is another area of technology upgradation for

Centralized Monitoring and Management of Train traffic already functional on Mumbai

Suburban section of Western Railway and Central Railway.

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27.09.3 Train Protection Warning System (TPWS)

To eliminate Signal Passing At Danger (SPAD), an human error, this system has

been provided as pilot project on certain stretches of 275 route kilometers(RKMs).

27.09.4 Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS)

TCAS, a multivendor product is being developed indigenously by RDSO for Collision

Prevention as well as Protection against Signal Passing At Danger (SPAD) by loco pilot. RDSO

has finalized the specification of TCAS and proof of concept trials have been carried out during

October/November, 2012. Extended trials on 250 Kms section on South Central Railway are to

be conducted by RDSO. Based on successful conclusion of extended trials and Safety

Certification of TCAS by Independent Safety Assessor (ISA), further deployment on Indian

Railways will be considered.

27.09.5 Continuous Track Circuiting with Automatic Block Signaling

Continuous track circuiting not only helps in improving the capacity with automatic

block signaling where more than one train can be sent in a block section but also improves safety

by interlocking all level crossing gates on the section with signals. Since the Golden

Quadrilaterals along with its diagonals on the IR carry the maximum traffic, it is proposed to

provide continuous track circuiting on priority on these sections.

27.09.6 Mobile Train Radio Communication

Mobile Train Radio Communication (MTRC) system has an intrinsic potential in

enhancing the safety and security in train operations, besides being a valuable aid in providing

reliable and secure communication to all those engaged in different facets of railway operations

and maintenance functions. MTRC works have already been commissioned on 2461 RKms on

IR and are in progress on 2100 RKms.

27.10.7 Rail/Weld Fractures

Rail/Weld fractures have direct impact on safety. Following are proposed to reduce the

incidences of Rail/weld fractures.

(a) Improvement of Quality of Rails

Increasing fracture Toughness, ductility, weldability and corrosion resistant properties of

rails helps in reducing sudden failures of rails. This will need addition of alloying material in

various proportions, Study in this direction is in progress in collaboration with SAIL.

Increased Axle Load has necessitated production of Head Hardened Rails and Rails with

Higher UTS (110 UTS). Studies are in progress in association with SAIL to develop such rails

for use on Heavy axle load routes. It is expected that such Rails will be available indigenously by

2016.

At present, Bhilai Steel Plant of SAIL is producing 65 m long rails which are being welded

in Bhilai Steel Plant to make a rail panel of length 260 m. These long rail panels are being

directly transported to the site thereby reducing the number of welds and the multiple handling of

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rails thereby improving the quality. Bhilai Steel Plant of SAIL is installing a new rail rolling mill

at Bhilai using state of the art technology. In this new mill 130m length rails will be rolled and

with a single weld 260m rail panel will be prepared and it is expected that new rail rolling mill

will be commissioned by SAIL in 2015-16.

(b) USFD Testing of Rails

To make USFD more reliable, improvement in USFD technique is necessary. The

Railways have introduced need-based concept of USFD testing of rails, under which the rails

already laid in track are being tested after the passage of stipulated GMT of traffic. The

improvement in quality of testing is also planned by use of digital type Ultrasonic Flaw Testing

machines replacing existing analogue type Ultrasonic Flaw Testing machines. Digital Testing

Machines for USFD testing of rails and welds are capable of data logging, saving and

transferring scan to computers while this facility is not available in analogue type of machines.

(c) Improved Thermit-Welding

There is a scope of improvement in Thermit-Welding techniques being used at present.

Based on studies done, significant improvement has been made in welding techniques to reduce

dependence on human judgment. The use of compressed air heating, three piece moulds and

automatic Tapping thimbles have been made mandatory for welding on Broad Gauge tracks.

(d) Reduction in thermit Welds by mobile flash butt Welding

Alumino-Thermit (AT) welds are the weak links in track, whose population is being

gradually reduced and replaced by Flash Butt (FB) welds. As a first step flash butt welding has

been introduced in all construction projects. This is to be gradually extended to other areas.

27.09.8 Rail-Fracture Detection System --

Rail/weld failures are potential safety hazards. Advanced Railway systems are using the

systems, which alerts all concerned in case of failures and train operations are controlled to

prevent consequential train accidents. No such system is available on IR. Suitable technology

will be developed in association with advanced railway systems for use on IR. It is proposed to

install broken rail detection system on NR & NCR on trial basis. After successful trial, this

system will be progressively installed on other important routes.

27.09.9 Wheel Impact Load Detector (WILD)

WILD is used to manage the wheel impact load spectrum for targeted removals of

defective wheels from service. The WILD continually monitors locomotives and vehicle wheels

health to ensure safe train operations. In WILD system, if any wheel generates a force that

exceeds a tailored alarming threshold, a report identifies that wheel for action. A maintenance

alarm identifies vehicle for preventive maintenance at the next available opportunity and a

critical alarm directs a train to stop as quickly and safely as possible. As on date 15 WILDsystems have been installed.

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27.09.10 Better and Safer Coaches

Design of lightweight, stainless steel passenger coaches has been procured through a

Transfer of Technology (TOT) contract from M/s LHB of Germany. The coach provides better

ride index at higher speeds. The design provides a higher safety level as a result of modern

technology in use in the design of high-speed bogies.

In view of enhanced safety features, passenger comfort and higher speed potential, it is

proposed to completely switch over to light weight stainless steel LHB mainline coach

production.

27.09.11 Retrofitment of Crash-worthy Features such as Crash Buffers and anti-

climbing Modifications in conventional Coaches

To minimize injury to passengers in case of collision, conventional coaches are to be

provided with crash-buffers provided at the coach ends which absorb collision energy

minimizing damage to passenger area. Provision of anti-climbing modifications in coaches will

not allow the coaches to climb over each other in case of an impact.

27.09.12 Fire Detection and Suppression System in AC Coaches

To make AC coaches fire resistant, fire detection and suppression system is to be

provided to detect fire in AC coaches and take preventive action. Provision of automatic braking

of coaches in case of fire shall also be provided.

27.09.13 Fire Detection and Suppression in NAC Coaches

To make NAC coaches for fire resistant, fire detection and suppression system is to be

provided to detect fire in NAC coaches and take preventive action.

27.09.14 Automatic Door Closure Mechanism in Coaches

Automatic door closure mechanism in EMU coaches to prevent accidental falling off of

passengers from trains should be introduced in suburban trains. Automatic AC Component

doors will manual trigger shall be provided in newly manufactured LHB AC double-decker

coaches for convenience of elderly passengers and children.

27.09.15 Redesigning/Refurbishing of Interior of Coaches and Interior Fittings for better

Occupant Safety

Coaches shall be provided with fire retardant materials such as Fire retardant curtains &

partition panelling, roof ceiling, PVC flooring, cushioning material for seats and berths, Rexine

& fabric upholstery for seats and berths, FRP windows & UIC Vestibules, etc. in the interior

furnishing. Specifications of these fire retardant materials shall be upgraded as a part of

continual improvement in passenger safety.

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Coaches are being provided with fire retardant furnishing materials. To minimize

injuries during rail travel, coaches are being redesigned without any sharp corners in the interior

and dully padding up vulnerable areas.

Improved design climbing arrangements and better side lower berths in Sleeper Coaches

Passengers for easy climbing on upper berths especially for elderly, women, children and

disabled.

Manufacturing of Variant AC and non-AC coaches with new design is being planned

with provision of emergency exit doors in addition to emergency exit window for faster

evacuation of passengers, fire safety measures such as fire barrier coating, luminescent signages

for visibility in the dark, emergency alarm, interface with air brake system for automatic brake

application.

27.09.16 In-motion Weighbridges

The in-motion weighbridge helps detect overloading in wagons. This reduces fatigue of

rail/welds and, therefore, reduces chances of fracture. Installation of in-motion weighbridges is

done as and when required as per changes in traffic pattern and emergent requirements and is a

continuous process.