Among other issues, Piyush Goyal directed the Railway Board to ensure that Unmanned level crossings are eliminated expeditiously in a year’s time. PTI Photo by Kamal Kishore
At a safety review meeting on Thursday, which saw three derailments without any casualties, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal ordered urgent track renewal work in accident-prone areas and removal of all level crossings in one year — advancing the deadline by two years. Goyal, it is learnt, has ordered that track renewal work, and not construction of new lines, will be top priority for now and that traffic blocks for track maintenance would not be an issue. “The minister said that even if some trains have to be cancelled for safety-related work, so be it,” an official said.
Construction of new lines will continue to get the required push with speedy procurement of new rails, but safety will be the priority, as per sources.
Accordingly, Goyal has ordered that new rails earmarked for new lines be diverted for track replacement, especially in accident-prone stretches. Derailments due to defects in tracks and unmanned level crossings have been identified as two major causes of accidents.
The manufacturing of all Integral Coach Factory-design coaches will be stopped at once and Railways will only produce the newer and safer Linke-Hoffman Busch variety coaches from now on, Goyal has ordered.
For smoother operations during winter in north India, Goyal ordered that all locomotives be fitted with anti-fog LED lights.
