KOCHI: Kerala would continue to be vulnerable to rail accidents as Indian railway has stalled the installation of Anti-collision Device (ACD) in the state. According to highly placed official sources, cash crunch and cost cutting initiatives by railway ministry is the reason for the project getting delayed. The decision also might affect the future of signalling system upgradation in the state that has been a long pending demand of the rail passenger associations.
It was in the 2011-12 railway budget that announcement to cover 8 zones with ACD was made that included Southern railway. The project estimated at Rs 8,100 crore was supposed to install a sensor device inside train locomotives that could detect the presence of an iron rod or a boulder from a distance of two kilometres.
"It is no secret that the cash surplus of the railways have gone down to Rs 75 lakh while working expense stands at Rs 73,000 crore in the current fiscal year. Railways have approached the finance ministry for a loan of Rs 2000 crore to wade over the looming crisis. Delay of projects might be temporary, but ACD installation is not going to happen in the near future in Southern railway," said a senior official of Southern railway. The official added that the setting up of automatic signalling system too might get stalled as part of cost cutting. According to him railway ministry might make a clear picture on the status of signalling system in the upcoming railway budget.
"At least for the last one decade Kerala have been urging railway board to enhance signal system which has been facing regular snarls. Most passengers are unaware that a major part of train hold-ups happen not to allow other trains to pass, but due to failure of signalling circuits, especially during monsoon. The existing system allows only three trains per hour while automatic system allows ten trains. The enhancement process should go side by side with doubling process. It is unfortunate that railway ministry is going back on their promise and throwing people to hardships and possible danger," said Mathew Paul, general secretary of the All Kerala Railway Passengers Association.
(George Adimathra, TNN | Dec 3, 2011, 08.05AM IST)
It was in the 2011-12 railway budget that announcement to cover 8 zones with ACD was made that included Southern railway. The project estimated at Rs 8,100 crore was supposed to install a sensor device inside train locomotives that could detect the presence of an iron rod or a boulder from a distance of two kilometres.
"It is no secret that the cash surplus of the railways have gone down to Rs 75 lakh while working expense stands at Rs 73,000 crore in the current fiscal year. Railways have approached the finance ministry for a loan of Rs 2000 crore to wade over the looming crisis. Delay of projects might be temporary, but ACD installation is not going to happen in the near future in Southern railway," said a senior official of Southern railway. The official added that the setting up of automatic signalling system too might get stalled as part of cost cutting. According to him railway ministry might make a clear picture on the status of signalling system in the upcoming railway budget.
"At least for the last one decade Kerala have been urging railway board to enhance signal system which has been facing regular snarls. Most passengers are unaware that a major part of train hold-ups happen not to allow other trains to pass, but due to failure of signalling circuits, especially during monsoon. The existing system allows only three trains per hour while automatic system allows ten trains. The enhancement process should go side by side with doubling process. It is unfortunate that railway ministry is going back on their promise and throwing people to hardships and possible danger," said Mathew Paul, general secretary of the All Kerala Railway Passengers Association.
(George Adimathra, TNN | Dec 3, 2011, 08.05AM IST)
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