‘NCR taking steps to ensure rail safety, punctuality’
ALLAHABAD: The NCR has taken up ‘mission zero SPAD’ under which no incident of signal passed at danger (SPAD) – wherein trains overshoot a stop signal – has been reported in this financial year, the zone’s general manager MC Chauhan said on Saturday.
Speaking at a safety meeting organised by the Railway Board through video conferencing, the general manager of the North Central Railway (NCR) informed Railway Board chairman Ashwini Lohani about the steps being taken to eliminate rail weld failures.
The meeting was attended by the general managers of all the 17 zones of the Indian Railway.
Chauhan requested the Board to provide at least six rakes of rails per month up to January 2018 to enable NCR to complete its target of rail renewal.
He informed the Board that in the current year the zone had given 21.5% more blocks as compared to last year despite the increasing pressure of traffic on NCR.
He also apprised the Board of the steps taken by the zonal railway administration to improve safety as well as punctuality of trains.
Chauhan said mechanised coach cleaning had begun in trains, on-board housekeeping services had been instituted on trains and 609 coaches had been provided bio toilets.
He also spoke about mechanised cleaning and rag-picking contracts to improve and maintain cleanliness.
In his address to the general managers, Lohani said the railways were looking at new technology to improve safety in trains.
He also emphasised on interaction with the field staff to bring the real issues and their solutions to the knowledge of senior officers.
Other members of the Railway Board, including member engineering Ghanshyam Singh and member (traffic) Mohd Jamshed, also shared their views on different issues.
The CRB also felicitated Krishna Prasad, a technician working in Allahabad division’s carriage and wagon department, with an appreciation letter and a cheque of Rs 5,000 for detecting a broken spring in the North East Express recently in Allahabad thereby averting a major mishap.