Railways initiates winter safety measures

PATNA: Railways has launched safety measures for winter to ensure foolproof safety to its passengers. The drive will continue till January or even beyond, depending on the severity of weather condition. East Central Railway (ECR) GM Madhuresh Kumar held a high level meeting with senior railway officials of the zone on Friday in this connection.
According to Danapur DRM N K Gupta, the railways has identified all fog-prone stations from Mughalsarai to Jhajha as well as on other sections of the division.The worst affected stations are mostly located in the taal area of Mokama and between Neora and Buxar. About 40% stations of Danapur division are fog-affected, he said.
Gupta said railways has deputed fog signal men on Fatuha-Islampur, Patna-Gaya, Kiul-Gaya and Bakhtiarpur-Rajgir sections of the division. ‘Flasher lights’ and ‘retro-reflective posts’ have also been installed at each vulnerable station under Danapur division. The visibility test objects (VTOs) and track falling lines in the fog-prone areas have been painted. Since the mainline section of Danapur division has been fully electrified from Mughalsarai to Jhajha, there is hardly any need to maintain extra alertness on the tracks during foggy weather condition, he said.
According to ECR CPRO Arvind Rajak, winter safety measures have been launched in all the five divisions of the ECR. Railways has started counselling the drivers and guards of the trains in each division to ensure their adherence to the winter safety rules. While safety officials and supervisors have been asked to strictly monitor safety measures from 8pm to 8am every day, railways has asked safety and other senior officials to carry out ‘foot-plating’ on the train locomotives during night.
Railways has also requisitioned detonators (fog signals) in good numbers to use them in emergency. Fog signals have been supplied to each station falling under vulnerable places under the ECR, including Sonepur and Samastipur divisions. It has put key men, gang men, cabin men and station masters on high alert during night. They have been asked to carry out track patrolling work, especially at vulnerable places like bridges, Rajak said.