Jammu Rajdhani will have new fire safety system from Feb 11

Automatic fire and smoke alarm with automatic braking system will be fully functional from February 11 in Jammu Rajdhani, the first train to have the new safety device.
The new system is a four-layer alarm system and is being integrated with the braking system. The train will come to a halt the moment the emergency braking system is activated on detection of fire after sounding of the alarm.
Jammu Rajdhani, the premier service connecting Jammu with Delhi, will be equipped with new technology of fire alarm and braking system from February 11 and will be the first train to have it, said a senior Railway Ministry official.

Though Bhubaneswar Rajdhani is also equipped with automatic fire alarm system, it does not have the automatic braking system.
"The new system is an upgraded version of earlier available fire safety technology. The new technology was developed after taking into account the results of the existing system operational on Bhubaneswar Rajdhani," the official said.
The new system, estimated to cost about Rs 2 lakh per coach, will be installed in 20 more trains. However, it is only for air-conditioned coaches - AC first, AC second, AC three rier, AC chaircar and AC pantry car.

Steps are taken for the general compartments and sleeper coaches also and several measures like the use of fire retardant materials in coaches and providing fire extinguishers will be implemented, he said.

Against the backdrop of frequent fire mishaps, railways are also planning to set up a fire test laboratory to develop strong fire retardant materials for coaches and make AC compartment doors operable from both sides.
"We are setting up a fire test laboratory at Research Development and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in Lucknow to have better understanding and testing the fire worthiness of various materials that go in the coach furnishing," the official said.
The lab will help us in developing better fire retardant materials for coaches, he said.
Railways' production units manufacturing AC coaches have been instructed to develop AC compartment doors which are operable from both inside as well as outside. Currently, AC coach doors can be opened only from inside the compartment.

This was one of the recommendations of the Commissioner, Railway Safety following the fire accident in Howrah-Dehradun Express in November 2011, said the official.