Rail Budget: Traffic up, accidents down

Railway Minister Lalu Prasad today said the number of rail accidents had decreased despite the substantial increase in volume of traffic.

Presenting the budget for 2007-08, Prasad said that the production of improved, crash-worthy coaches would be increased, and announced that the testing of anti-collision devices was in its final stages.

He said that the majority of special railway safety fund work would be completed next month while the balance would be completed by March next year.

General Managers have been empowered to sanction subways costing up to Rs 50 lakh on unmanned level crossings for reducing accidents, he added.

On security, he said that the number of trained dogs would be increased in the existing dog squads.

He said door frame and hand-held metal detectors to detect explosives are being installed in many sensitive divisions and CCTV, smart video cameras etc are being installed in sensitive stations.

Other measures proposed in the budget include filling up of 8,000 vacancies in the RPF on an all-India basis and recognition of Jagjivan Ram Railway Suraksha Bal Academy at Lucknow as the centralised training institute.