Eastern Railway Heritage, Aug 16: The corporate railway safety plan, providing for comprehensive measures in preventing all kinds of railway accidents, will be placed before the Parliament during its current session for approval, Railway Minister Nitish Kumar said today. "The plan will be placed before the Parliament in its current session. It will be a 10-year plan, aiming to prevent all kinds of railway accidents including derailments, fires and mishaps at unmanned level crossings," Kumar told newsmen while travelling from Howrah to Bandel on board the ER's heritage special train.

Stating that all broad guage routes would be brought under the cover of anti-collision devices (ACDs), he said that the system was being tried out in 3,500 km of railway route and plans were on to try it in another 10,000 km. He said that Rs 300 crore had been spent on technical survey for the purpose and another Rs 1,600 crore would be needed for more detailed surveys like radio survey, angular deviation and control principles.

While the train activated warning system had been installed at many unmanned level crossings, implementation of 'raksha Dhara,' an indigenous device to reduce the impact of landslides would be part of the safety plan, he said.

The minister said that steps were being taken to "rationalise" the workforce of drivers and gangmen between the age-group of 50 and 57 years. Kumar said the plan envisaged providing employment to an "eligible" ward if a driver or gangman of that age group was brought under the voluntary retirement scheme. At present, there are 8,000 drivers and 43,000 gangmen in that age group, he added.

Bureau Report