Walkie-talkies: Rlys gets exemption from Make in India procurement policy

This comes after locally sourced technology provided poor communications over increased distances

The Ministry of Railways has received an exemption from the Make in India public procurement policy for walkie-talkies after such transceivers procured from a local supplier were found to be unsuitable for operations, Business Standard has learnt.

During a safety review meeting in April, chaired by Chairman of the Railway Board Anil Kumar Lahoti, the poor quality of walkie-talkies manufactured by Sanchar Communication Systems, a Delhi-based supplier of surveillance technology and telecommunication equipment, was flagged for immediate rectification.
 

“Several issues had been found with Sanchar walkie-talkies, with the most pressing being poor quality of communications over increased distances. These were flagged as safety concerns and duly communicated to the manufacturer as the product could not meet the quality that was expected,” said a senior government official. Another senior official, who has worked in train operations, said the poor quality of these walkie-talkies was a critical safety risk because there should be seamless communication from the locomotive cabin to the rear end of the train, where the guard is stationed, especially in emergencies, such as fire and wagon detachment.
 

Both Sanchar Communication Systems and the Ministry of Railways did not respond to queries sent to them by Business Standard by the time of going to press. On May 9, the government gave an exemption to the Railways from the Make in India public procurement rules, which push for preference to be given to local suppliers wherever possible, for the procurement of 23,254 walkie-talkies. The relaxation would be valid for one year or until indigenous vendors are developed and are in a position to supply better quality five-watt VHF (very high frequency) sets as per the Research Design and Standard Organisation specification, whichever is earlier. 
 

“Accordingly, the South Eastern Railway may take further necessary action for procurement of five-watt VHF sets for Indian Railways requirements. In the meantime, proactive efforts should be made to develop the indigenous sources, keeping Board apprised of the developments,” the circular issued by the Railway Board in May said.
 

The first official quoted above said that the South Eastern Railway floated a fresh tender on June 30 in which global, as well as local players could participate. Signal passed at danger (SPAD) or overshooting a red signal is one of the leading causes of train accidents, and it is often due to reasons such as loco pilots being blindsided, lack of attention, or poor visibility. In such cases, the guard or other staff in vicinity can alert the loco pilot of the overshooting through walkie-talkies. Besides walkie-talkies, the official said there are backup mechanisms, such as emergency brakes, to prevent accidents in aforementioned situations. Loco pilots are not allowed to use mobile phones while operating trains, and for the most part, they have to rely on walkie-talkies for crucial communication.
 

According to sources, the Railways had close to 140,000 five-watt sets in its stores as of March, of which almost a fifth were from the local supplier. 

Around 60 per cent of these were used for crew operations, while the rest were either used in close-range non-crew operations or kept as spares.

Red Signal

 

• Railways flagged safety issues with local manufacturer-made walkie talkies in April
• Walkie talkies crucial for safe operations of locomotive crew, can help prevent accidents