MINISTER OF RAILWAYS (SHRI MUKUL ROY)
(a) to (g): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (g) OF STARRED
QUESTION NO.33 BY SHRI YASHVIR SINGH AND SHRI RADHA MOHAN SINGH
TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 09.08.2012 REGARDING TRAIN MISHAPS.
(a): 25 passengers lost their lives, 14 suffered grievous injuries
and 19 suffered simple injuries in the rear-end collision of 16591
Hubli - Bangalore City Hampi Express with a stationary Goods Train
at Penukonda Station of Dharmavaram - Bangalore section of Bangalore
Division of South Western Railway on 22.05.2012. In other accident of
derailment of 13009 Howrah-Dehradun Express on 31.05.2012 between
Mehrawan and Khetasarai stations of Varanasi-Faizabad-Lucknow
section of Lucknow Division of Northern Railway, 3 passengers
lost their lives, 4 suffered grievous injuries and 23 suffered
simple injuries.
(b) & (c): Compensation is payable only after a claim is filed in the
Railway Claims Tribunal (RCT) and a decree is awarded by the Tribunal.
In the rear end collision of 16591 Hampi Express with a stationary Goods
Train at Penukonda Station on 22.05.2012, only four claims have been filed
in the Tribunal and decrees are yet to be awarded by the Tribunal. However,
enhanced ex-gratia at the rate of Rupees five lakhs to the next of kin of
each deceased, Rupees one lakh to each grievously injured and ` 50,000/-
to each simple injured has been announced. Ex-gratia has since been paid to
all the victims except in 8 cases of simple injury as the addresses of these
injured persons are not known.
In the derailment of 13009 Howrah - Dehradun Express on 31.05.2012, no claim
for compensation has been filed by the victims so far. However, enhanced
ex-gratia at the rate of Rupees five lakhs to the next of kin of each
deceased, Rupees one lakh to each grievously injured and ` 25,000/- to each
simple injured has been announced. Ex-gratia has since been paid to all the
victims.
(d) & (e): Statutory inquiry into the rear-end collision of 16591 Hampi
Express with a stationary Goods train on 22.05.2012 is being conducted by
the Commissioner of Railway Safety, Southern Circle under the Ministry of
Civil Aviation and its report is awaited. In the derailment of 13009
Howrah-Dehradun Express on 31.05.2012 also, statutory inquiry is being
conducted by the Commissioner of Railway Safety, Northern Circle and its
report is awaited. Disciplinary action shall be initiated after receipt
of the final report and fixing of responsibility against the officials
found guilty.
(f): The number of consequential train accidents excluding cases of trespassing
at unmanned level crossings decreased from 93 in 2010-11 to 77 in 2011-12.
Collisions increased from 5 in 2010-11 to 9 in 2011-12 due to failure of
railway staff. However, in the current year during April to July, 2012, such
collisions decreased from 3 to 2 in comparison to the corresponding period of
the previous year. Derailments decreased from 80 in 2010-11 to 55 in 2011-12
and in the current year during April to July, 2012, derailments increased
marginally from 16 to 17 in comparison to the corresponding period of the
previous year.
(g): Measures taken to prevent collisions include provision of Complete Track
Circuiting of the station section, Fouling Mark to Fouling Mark track circuiting
on entire ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’ and ‘D Spl.’ routes, provision of Anti - Collision
Device (ACD)/Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), Train Protection and Warning
System (TPWS), Auxiliary Warning System (AWS), Vigilance Control Device, Block
Proving Axle Counters (BPAC), etc. Measures taken to prevent derailments include:
(i) Upgradation of track structure consisting of PSC sleepers, 52 kg/60 kg
high strength rails for higher axle loads and high density routes; new
construction and replacement is done with PSC sleepers only,
(ii) Long rail panels of 260 Meters/130 Meters length to minimize
number of welded joints to avoid rail fractures,
(iii) Upgradation of Alumino Thermit Welding and increased use of
mobile flash butt welding,
(iv) Progressive mechanization of track maintenance using sophisticated
machines to provide safe and efficient output,
(v) Wheel Impact Load Detectors (WILD) alongside tracks to detect unsafe
movement of flat wheels over the track.
(vi) Regular patrolling of railway tracks at vulnerable locations including
night patrolling and winter patrolling.
(vii) Special Safety Inspection Drive has been launched for inspection of the
cuttings and vulnerable locations.
