He was briefing media on the measures taken by the government in the past nine years to step up railway safety. Munda said that the government’s priority is to ensure safety of railways and those travelling by it and for this all the necessary initiatives have been taken in the last nine years and these have yielded good results .

Munda emphasized the pivotal role of the Indian Railways in the nation’s economy and its significance as a reliable mode of transportation connecting every corner of the country

“The safety of railways and its passengers is our utmost priority, and the cumulative efforts of the last nine years have yielded commendable results,” said Munda. He informed that the average annual count of consequential train accidents plummeted from 171 during 2004-14 to 71 during 2014-23. These achievements, he noted, were facilitated by a range of strategic measures.

One such initiative, the Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK), established in 2017-18 with a corpus of ₹1 trillion for five years, focuses on the replacement, renewal, and upgradation of critical safety assets. An impressive gross expenditure of Rs. 1.08 lakh crore was dedicated to RRSK projects between 2017-18 and 2021-22.

Munda also pointed out advancements in railway infrastructure, including the implementation of electrical/electronic interlocking systems at 6427 stations by May 31, 2023, to eliminate accidents due to human error. The addition of Interlocking of Level Crossing (LC) Gates at 11093 crossings and the Complete Track Circuiting of 6377 stations by the same date further contributed to enhancing safety.

The minister highlighted the incorporation of vigilance control devices in locomotives to ensure the alertness of Loco Pilots, allowing them to respond promptly to safety concerns. Additionally, measures such as the placement of retro-reflective sigma boards ahead of signals in electrified areas were implemented to improve visibility during foggy conditions.

Munda said that the government has undertaken expansion projects in the northeast, central India, among others, to connect different parts of India to meet the growing requirements of the people and the economy.

Updated: 09 Aug 2023, 07:16 PM IST