Need for zero failure in signalling systems in Railways: Mital

Expressing concern over the number of accidents involving trains, Chairman, Railway Board, A K Mital today called for zero failure in signalling systems.
Stating that more than 60 per cent of total accidents in Railways occur at unmanned level crossings, Mital asked the Signalling and Telecommunication (S&T) wing to come up with low cost solutions to the problems.
"There are more than 60 per cent of total accidents in railways occurring at unmanned level crossings. S&T department should work out low cost solution to the problems," he said at a seminar here.
Criticising signal failure incidents, he said, "There are about 100 signal failures of our lakhs of signalling daily. Though failure is minimum, it is not acceptable. It has to be zero-failure signalling system. We have to have a system which is free from failures."

"Today we are fully depending on loco pilot for safety. If the driver blinks for a moment, then there should be a technology to support him," he said.
Mital also expressed concerns over the slow pace of installation of train collision avoidance system (TCAS), and stressed on the need to expedite it to curb mishaps.
"TCAS trial is going on for the last three years,. Now time has come to complete the trial on the 250 km section in one year," he said.
TCAS is indigenously developed by Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) and its trial is going on in Delhi-Agra section and Chennai suburban route.