GUWAHATI, Jan 31 ? The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is focusing on accident prevention, safety measures and infrastructure development despite the constant threat from the ultras in the region. Addressing mediapersons at NF Railway headquarters here today, the General Manager of the Railways Vipan Nanda informed that efforts would be geared up to reduce possibility of accidents. He informed that trial of Anti-Collision Device (ACD) was completed in NF Railway and was currently under field trial in Northern Railway. Once the field trials are over, the ACDs are likely to be introduced in the NF Railway. He, however, did not mention about any deadline.
A total Rs 85.8 crore has been allotted to NF Railway from the Special Railway Safety Fund (SRSF) in the current financial year out of which Rs 49.5 crore has been spent till date. The Railway has targeted to man 20 unmanned level crossing gates during this financial year out of which six have already been manned. Out of 31 distressed bridges earmarked for rehabilitation during the current fiscal, 20 have been rehabilitated. Over 247 km of track renewal, 404740 cubic metres of ballast insertion of track, 187.53 km of deep screening of track have already been completed by NF Railway in the current year as part of its effort to reduce possibility of accidents.
Meanwhile, all manned level crossings (special A&B class) gates are being provided with telephone connections with nearest station while 168 out of 196 C class level crossing gates are also provided with telephones. The General Manager claimed that all level crossing gates within station limit have been interlocked with signal while 57 out of 90 B class level crossing gates are interlocked. In the meantime 82 C class gates are also interlocked. The NF Railway has converted the braking system in all the passenger trains from vacuum to air brake besides providing walkie-talkie sets to drivers and guards of these trains.
Colour light signalling is being provided in the entire main line BG section while satellite phones are being provided in Accident Relief Trains. The General Manager claimed gradual reduction in train mishaps and provided statistics in support of his claim. The figures provided indicated that there were 95 mishaps involving both goods and passenger trains in 2000-01, 58 in 2001-02, 49 during April 2001 to January 2002 and 35 during April 2002 to January 2003.
Sri Nanda informed that undeterred by the constant threat from the ultras and hostile terrain the NF Railway was striving for expansion of its network in the region. He informed that the Railway had to deploy about 1000 Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel to provide security cover to its staff working under threat of militants. The General Manager, construction, N Ramasubramonium informed that among all the on-going projects of the Railway, the work at gauge conversion along Lumding-Badarpur-Silchar-Jiribam was suffering because of militants threat and hostile terrain which required special designing of new structures being constructed. Besides this, the project in Agartala is also badly-hit by militancy there.
However, the silver lining is that the NF Railway has already spent Rs 480 crore as against allotted Rs 421 crore in the current financial year for construction activities. The Railway is now awaiting sanction of the Rs 20 crore it has spent in excess of the alloted fund for the year. The General Manager construction informed that the Railway was hoping for allotment of Rs 600 crore for construction works in the next financial year. He called upon the State Government to expedite the process of land allotment for Bogibeel rail-cum-road bridge in Upper Assam. Meanwhile, the NF Railway has undertaken steps to provide training to its staff to make them more passenger-friendly.