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In 2013, at least seven major railway accidents killed over 34 people and injured hundreds. In the first six months of 2014, more than 72 people have lost their lives in four rail accidents, most recently when the Gorakhdham Express crashed into a stationery goods train, taking an estimated 40 lives.
Safety remains one of the biggest concerns for the railways. Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda has tried to address this issue with the announcement of technological solutions in the latest Rail Budget 2014-15.
“Safety of passengers is of paramount importance for Indian Railways. It is estimated that over ₹40,000 crore would be needed to be invested in track renewals, elimination of unmanned level crossings and construction of road-under-bridges and road-over-bridges,” he said.
The Minister said the railway proposes to use ultrasonic flaw detecting systems to detect rail and weld fractures. Further, ultrasonic broken rail detection system will be tried at two locations as pilot projects.
These systems use sound waves to create vibrations, which then send signals to receivers, warning about potential threats, such as disjointed rail lines.
This can prevent derailing of trains.
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