கோளாறு எங்கே இருக்கிறது?

 “Technical Snag” of ungovernable Privatization! 

                        -Loud Thinking by P Balasubramanian MA., BL.,

As a proud son of a Railways TTE and grandson of a Railways points man, I was born and brought up in an environment of Railways from a tender age.  This painful note is flowing from my deeper feelings of a person who has immense love for Railways to date. As the sea shore is a dwelling domicile for fishermen, the Railways colony and places around Railways tracks were a shore to me till I entered into bureaucracy at the age of 24 years. It provided exposure to develop an abnormal interest to understand the Railways operating system, locomotive operations, the role of guards, and so on.

Though I stood first in the southern zone in the Railways service commission and got selected as Asst station master in Railways which was the dream of a son of a Railways employee, it was thrown into the dustbin due to unforeseen developments in the family. Despite that, I had opportunities to learn the operational procedures of the Railways' working pattern of train movements which further taught me that safety was well ensured by British people even in a single-line working system of manual operations termed as tablet pattern or push button.  Later, it was developed as Route relay inter-locking in the mid-seventies followed by panel inter-locking, etc. Now it has improved with manifolds of its magnitudes in advancement and has moved towards a central traffic control management system and it is growing very fast in a rapid manner. The department named Signal and Telecommunication called       S&T has got a significant impact on Train operations.

Accidents are prone to happen in the world, in any form out of several factors. Lessons are to be learned from each incident, irrespective of its quantum or gravity as the purpose is to ameliorate further to avoid future shortcomings and to rectify those defects. Sometimes, the loss incurred by such incidents is inculcating valuable lessons which can be equated to the resounding clamor of the beacon. In spite of repeated learning, it is often being ignored in the course of time by looking at those matters as usual affairs of this country.

For several such incidents the commission of inquiry or technical investigations, etc. are inevitable procedural aspects that finally end up with the findings of either mechanical failure or human error, or a combination of both. There may be several contributory factors to be added up to substantiate those claims. Whatsoever the derivatives concluded from those investigations, the objective is to effect it as a measure of course correction to set right all other related safety components to be incorporated in procedures with more advanced  inputs.

How far the effects of these reports of such fact-finding bodies are being implemented is a pertinent question of distressfulness by any conscious citizen whenever pleonastic incidents are being reported then and there.

There is no transparency regarding the conditions imposed on those contracts pertaining to safe operations of railway trafficking. From reliable railway sources, it is understood there is a severe shortage of materials to replace the spares, and mostly the spare parts are repaired and reinstalled. It is a subject matter that needs further probe to find out the correctness of those facts.

 Indian Railways is the second largest Railways in the world meant for serving the people as a welfare Government. In spite of several economic requirements the train fare was considered to be the cheapest mode of conveyance for the common people with several concessions for students, differently abled people, senior citizens, etc. Except for concession for a few segments, several concessions were abolished which includes senior citizen concession.

Priority was shifted to make Railways a prime commercial profit-making organization by adopting corporate norms for which the objective was the privatization of most of the branches of Railways except operations, infrastructure building, and maintenance. From the operation division, the installation of signal and Telecommunications types of equipment were privatized later. In addition to that the Annual maintenance contract is given to the private sector. As the policies to promote sourcing has evolved as a priority the control over those private bodies is merely on papers with certain terms and conditions which are otherwise contractual obligations. There is no transparency regarding the conditions imposed on those contracts pertaining to safe operations of railway trafficking. From reliable railway sources, it is understood there is a severe shortage of materials to replace the spares, and mostly the spare parts are repaired and reinstalled. It is a subject matter that needs further probe to find out the correctness of those facts.

Another important fact is that there is a shortage of more than 1.75 lakhs vacancies which are not filled in the Department of Signal and Telecommunications. As a result, the staff are overburdened to work more.

The Government is making huge claims for ensuring the safety aspects of technology in the system. In reality, it has not fulfilled the stated claims of the department leaving many lapses in several areas over flowing with incompleteness in overall development. The usual justification is that it is a gradual exercise that can’t be completed immediately. The top officials in the Railways have not much say in these areas as their primary interest is to sail along with the current for the absolutely obvious personal convenience of service benefits enjoyed by them.

The polemical policies behind this horrible accident are a composition of factors narrated above wherein ungovernable privatization is considered to be the primary component of the policies formulated with the sole objective of encouraging privatization.I would like to make an opinion on this matter which is a subjective outcome of my limited knowledge in this matter added with the inference drawn from media and a few shared materials from friends.

In layman's language, it is to be explained in this article for easy understanding of signifying factors behind this horrendous accident. 

Part II

As discussed earlier a preliminary knowledge of signal systems should be understood from railway manuals.

Any way side Railways station has got tracks of loop line and main line of single line operation or double line operations normally built with provision for one or two loop lines.

Among the signals the four signals approximately are important. It is termed as an Advance starter and starter with the distance of prescribed distance. As per safety standards normally 400 meters towards the direction the train proceeds is installed on the left side of the track of the station where in train is stationed or passing through. These signals are named dispatching signals.

In the same way prior to the approaching station on the main line immediately after the station four hundred meters away or more than that as per safety standards after the platform, the signal post is installed called Home signal. Again after four hundred meters or more than that as per safety standards, another signal post is installed called Distance Signal. These signals are called receiving signals.

The provision for change of track to loop line from mainline and again loop line to the main line is called Track changing Points. Long back it was operated manually and later gradually shifted to lever operation from cabins. Now the whole system is provided with automation mode interlinked with related home signals and starter signals with provision for locking and unlocking facilities through switch control through the types of equipment installed in the room of the station master. The movement of track joints is controlled and the indications are displayed in the computerized panel in the Station Masters room.

The train that leaves from the station halted in a loop line will have a change of  track point after the starter signal. In the mainline also starter provision is provided before the connecting point of the loop line track to the main line. The most important factor is to ensure that the track change point after the entry of the train into the loop line is changed back to the mainline. In the same way, after the train starts from the loop line and after passing the entire coach the change of point after the starter provided on the loop line to mainline should be changed to mainline. The starter in the main line is an indication for the train to pass through or halt in the main line depending on the signal.

The purpose of writing is to make it clear how cautiously the human brain needs to have its focus on any entrusted responsibilities without distractions that involve risk to human lives despite supporting technological aids to ensure safety norms. As the machines took over these safety functions the person who operates the machine is only depending on the indications that appeared in the display panel and has no knowledge regarding the physical change of points in case of any failure in movements of tracks if indications are wrongly displayed.

This is a very important matter. The safety standards need to be properly checked repeatedly with absolute care and caution. Mostly, the track-changing points are operated through remote sensing where there is no possibility of human error. The checklists are there in the operating manual of operating sectors.

The schoolmaster trains the mind and the station master minds the train is one of the meaningful sayings. Many people may not be aware that the steering wheels of the Train Engine are with the station master.

 The locomotive operators who were earlier named Railways Engine drivers are simply to obey the signals - to stop it or to proceed with caution or to run through. The whole train movements are monitored by control rooms at Divisional Headquarters wherein section controllers are there to monitor train movements for every section. It is more or less like an aviation control room for flight operations.

The most important factor is that the train routes between the stations can be blocked by the previous station master connected through technology which ensures the station master on the back end to not to permit any train to proceed in the track. After ensuring that there is no train on the track the previous station master gives clearance and the station master on the back end will allow the train to pass on the said track. It may look slightly complicated to understand it even though I tried to explain in the simplest possible way. The bottom line is that it is a continuous well organized streamlined secured procedure with several updates taking place in these sectors.

In light of the brief narrated above, I would like to share my observation of the reasons or probabilities or root causes or genesis or origin behind this serious accident of grave intensity. It is all based on presumable facts from co related issues by connecting dots of reported opinions. It is only a preponderance of probability, and definitely, not conclusive proof as the matter is under investigation by competent authorities. The objective is not to blame or merely complain about the issues from a negative perspective. With due care and caution it is part of the analysis to initiate stringent action against anyone  who is solely or collectively responsible for such a mishap which took place by bringing shame to the nation on standards of ensuring safety to its citizens which is a constitutional obligation too.

The crucial factor to be stressed in this article is that adequate advanced technology was not introduced to detect the failure of the possibility of equipment fault or erroneous indications displayed in the panel installed at the SM room in such sensitive operational fields. In this matter, it appears that the station master received the goods train at the loop line and the goods train was stationed in the loop line. It took 120 seconds for further operation to make the loop line joint to set it back on the mainline. As per procedure the SM did the operations and gave a green signal in the home signal. If the loop line is not connected with the main line again the home signal will not permit the green signal to be on. In this matter, the loop line joint is not connected with the main line whereas in the signal panel, green light indications appeared. As the line clearance was given Train on line TOL appeared on the panel. As the SM was following the indications which were later found to be erroneous was unaware of the real physical conditions of the change of track point which had not resumed back to the main line.

The locomotive operator proceeding at 130 km speed noticed the green signals but never knew that the track change point to loop line to the main line was not connected. In railway language, the green signal was termed as “ Authority to proceed “ to the driver.  As a result the train heading for the mainline naturally got into the loop line where the goods train was stationed. When he noticed that the train entered into the loop line and noticed the stationed goods train 200 meters above he applied a sudden break. The braking distance to control the train proceeding at 130 km requires 600 meters. As a result, the train mounted over the goods train resulting in this horrific accident.

Among the coaches, 21 coaches were damaged and the other coaches adjoining the engine were heavily damaged. There was an unreserved compartment under the occupation of poor people and most of the passengers died. A few coaches at the tail end of the Coromandel Express rolled over the adjacent track. Another express from Yeshwanthpur to Howrah was proceeding in the opposite direction as it is a double-line operation. The train collided with the tilted coaches of Coromandel Express and derailed. In this train also the passengers who traveled in the unreserved coach adjacent to the Engine died.

The culprit for such a dreadful tragedy is to be fixed. It is not a question of fixing responsibility alone.  It is a question of adhering to safety norms with updated technology to integrate the mechanism to find out any human error caused during operational procedures.  Whether the control room has prime responsibility to monitor the train movement and is updated to international standards is a serious question to all.  Analysis alone is not the solution to such a crisis. Further actions are important to prevent such tragedy something that need not be told again and again.

 This government is lagging behind in several sectors where public safety is involved. Railways are one such sector wherein improvements are there to a considerable extent. Whether it is up to international standards is still ambiguous as the campaign for advertisements for boosting achievements is more visible. It is observed from the analysis and it is understood that there was a lacunae in maintaining the equipment. It needs to be probed.  The non-availability of replacement of spares is a subject matter of serious concern if it is established. Nonfilling of vacancies in core sectors like Signal and Telecommunications is a reflection of the incompetence of the authorities concerned. 

There is functional coordination on the language barrier which may lead to causing an accident or possible human error. (It is to be explained through an example that in 2019 first week of May between Kallikudi and Thirumangalam station the SM Kallikudi got a line clear and gave a green signal where the other train was on the same track. The Gatekeeper, an illiterate employee found it and averted the major accident. The punishment to the SM hailed from other states was a transfer to his home state!)

Prior to concluding this Article, I wanted to share an important train accident that took place on the 23rd of December night 1964 at Danushkodi due to a Natural disaster. There were few real facts not known to all people. I had first-hand knowledge since my father traveled on the same train up to Pamban and then went to Rameswaram as few coaches were parted at Pamban. The ill-fated train proceeded up to the station called Rameswaram Road a lone station between Danushkodi and Pamban. As the wind flow was heavy the tracks were covered with sand. The SM took permission from the Control room in Madurai and arranged for gang workers to remove the sand and the train proceeded up to Danushkodi station. Meanwhile, the Pamban bridge collapsed and the signal lines were cut and the control room was disconnected. The train was stopped at the Home signal since the hand signal post had shown a stop signal as there was no provision for such an automatic green signal etc. The train halted for more than an hour. The steam engine driver and the guard walked towards Danushkodi to find out the reasons for the long waiting at home. Meanwhile, the sea on both sides with huge waves of more than 100 feet raised due to the heavy cyclone, and the train was devasted by the loss of 126 lives. The real fact is the home signal was on by pulling the levers and the driver was given authority to proceed. As the wind flow was heavy, the connecting pullies and the cables were destroyed the signal post was not functioning which was not known to the station staff. Prior to clearing through another procedure called paper line clear ticket an alternative safety arrangement the whole train was totally damaged by roaring sea waves. This was a genuine example of the failure of mechanical operation due to a natural disaster which was otherwise a much-secured procedure. As my father was stationed at Rameswaram which was not known to us the family was informed that he was also travelling in the same train. One could understand the pain of any loss of life. Any compromise on safety norms and standards is considered to be heinous crime.

Now who is the culprit?

Let the conscience of the individual may decide about this specific point of issues of compromise of allowing ungovernable Privatization in safety sectors.. 

Today the Railways minister came up with the statement that somebody might have caused sabotage to the equipment which appears to be absurd. It is a visible justification to shift the blame of usual political dirty play. The investigation is handed over to CBI. How far CBI is independent is a known fact despite its skills in the investigation. The fairness of investigation is again a matter of questionable issue.

Our silent mourning for the untimely demise of victims is again an awakening call to the conscience of administrators of all institutions. Will it be heard by the deaf ears of pseudo groups sitting over the governance who have been displaying their utter stupidity in every event is a million-dollar question.

The people of India should understand the importance of progressive politics of the nation which would be the real base for growth and development.

Let us unite and drive away the degenerative disgraceful discombobulated elements from power through a democratic process.

That will be  the homage to the innocent citizens who have laid down their precious life in this unexpected accident.

…Balu aka Balasubramanian.

                               

 

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[i] Shri P Balasubramanian, the writer of this article served as an Assistant Commissioner in the TN Police Department,  as  Addl Private Secretary to Union Minister,  as Protector of Emigrants, Served as Director  Debts Recovery Tribunal, as Vigilance officer in the Chennai High Court,  and  as General Manager Fraud monitoring Cell of SBI post retirement. Presently he is a  practicing lawyer in the High Court of Madurai.