Prabhu orders special safety drive to prevent derailments

New Delhi, Aug 31 (PTI) Expressing serious concern overthe rising trend of train derailments, Railway Minister SureshPrabhu today directed all zones to launch fortnight longsafety drive across the country from tomorrow to prevent suchincidents. Twelve coaches of Thiruvananthapuram-Mangalore expresswas derailed in the wee hours on Sunday near Karukuttystation, around 45 km from Kochi. Though no one was injured in the incident, there weremany such derailments in the recent past causing disruption intrain service and posing serious question over safetyparameters in train operation, said a senior Railway Ministerofficial. He said Minister has taken a serious view of recentderailments of passenger carrying trains and has directedrailway administration to launch a massive safety drive acrossentire Indian Railways network focusing on the strong measuresfor preventing derailments. Derailment of trains is one of the major causes ofrailway accidents constituting on an average 50 per cent ofthe total railway accidents. After reviewing the safety measures with the RailwayBoard, Prabhu asked all Zonal Railways and Divisions to gearup their machinery to carry out this drive effectively. Senior officers including Divisional Railway Managershave been asked to be actively associated with the safetydrive. Safety drive will be constantly monitored in therailway board by the safety directorate. According to the official, suitable follow up actionwill be taken on all deficiencies and irregularities noticedduring the drive. The corrective measures wherever required shouldimmediately be taken to ensure safety in railway operations.The result and report of the drive will also be used for longterm measures. It has been re-emphasized that safety inrailway operations should continue to be the top most priorityat all levels. The fortnight long safety drive beginning from September1 will lay emphasis on maintenance of track, prevention ofrail fractures and weld failures. According to the directive, there should be zero missingfittings particularly at locations like approaches to bridges,curves, cuttings and high banks. The inspection of fraction prone location and vulnerablesections and strict compliance with the norms laid down formaintenance of all the running lines including loop lines instation limit. PTI ARURG