INNOVATIVE MEASURES ON SAFETY BY ALIPURDUAR DIVISION

INNOVATIVE MEASURES ON SAFETY BY ALIPURDUAR DIVISION

12052016/028

13-05-2016

MALIGAON

INNOVATIVE MEASURES ON SAFETY BY ALIPURDUAR DIVISION

During the last o­ne year, Alipurduar Division of N. F. Railway has made safety of passengers o­ne of its primary goals and executed several planned works with steady focus o­n eliminating threats to safety.

To avoid accidents at elephant corridors, several measures have already been taken including speed restrictions o­n trains, training of locomotive drivers and coordination with Forest Departments for receiving early warning o­n movements of elephants etc. To bolster the efforts, the division has also undertaken a project for installation of Night Vision Cameras in the locomotives in collaboration with Defence Research and Developments Organizations (DRDO) laboratory at Dehradun. A prototype has been developed and tested under laboratory conditions. Soon, field trials would be conducted o­n these night vision cameras. If the trials becomes successful, these cameras will greatly help locomotive drivers in spotting elephants, especially in Alipurduar – New Mal Junction – Siliguri section of the division.

Unmanned level crossing happens to be o­ne of the major areas where accidents take place. During last o­ne year, the division has sent out about fifteen thousand SMSs to road users informing them about the precautions to be taken while crossing an unmanned level crossing. This has created awareness among public and helped in reducing accidents in unmanned level crossings. The division has now planned to continue such campaign for sustaining its effectiveness.

During the last o­ne year, the division has closed 12 level crossing gates and in lieu of these provided eight Low Height Subways. The division has also manned o­ne unmanned level crossing. The division has been working hard to realize the announced goal of eliminating all level crossings in Indian Railways in a phased manner.

Besides these initiatives, the division has also conducted 28 safety drives during the last o­ne year and organized 81 Safety Seminars to make frontline staff, road users and general public aware of the necessary safety precautions to be taken within railway working areas.

To make plan for the coming year, the division has conducted the annual level crossing survey to gauge the density of traffic at each level crossing within the division. The density of traffic is a parameter that guides the railways to decide o­n closure, manning and construction of road-over-bridge at level crossings.