Bengal train mishap: Railways mulls new procedural initiatives to improve communication system

Kolkata, June 22 (IANS) Following the Kanchanjunga Express-goods train collision which claimed 11 lives, the railways is mulling new initiatives to improve the communication system between different departments as well to avoid certain technical confusion which may lead to the recurrence of such mishaps.

Sources said that a proposal has been mooted for the installation of stabilisers-cum-call recorders at all rail-gate cabins for recording the communication between the concerned gait-men, station masters and other officials of the department.

They said that the proposal has been mooted by Northeast Frontier Railway. “So in case of not only future mishap but in case of any other glitches, the recorded calls in the system will enable smooth and speedy enquiries in such matters,” a railways official said.

He said that the stabilisers-cum-call recorders were only installed at rail-gate cabins of important junction stations. However, as per the new proposal, a decision has been taken to bring all rail-gate cabins under this system,

“The second proposal will be more judicious and cautious issuances of the paper line clear tickets (PLCTs) for trains to pass through a distance where the automatic signalling system is malfunctioning,” the official said.

As the preliminary step, the Sealdah Division of railways has barred all station masters under the division from issuing PLCTs till further orders.

The station masters have also been cautioned of departmental proceedings in case any of them issues any PLCT without prior order.

PLCT is a paper authorisation issued to a train to ignore red signals within a distance where the automatic signalling system is malfunctioning.

However, such PLCT comes with a restriction of the speed limit of 15 kilometres an hour within that distance where the automatic signalling is non- functional.

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