Railways Takes Steps To Ensure Hassle Free Train Operation During Monsoon

By Chanchal Mukherjee

New Delhi: In a bid to ensure seamless operations of trains and hassle free journey to the passengers during the monsoon season, the Railways has changed some trains' time table for maintaining smooth operations and safety checks are being done to deal with rain related issues.

As per officials, the railway administration has made changes in the timetable of Ajmer-Ernakulam-Ajmer, Hisar-Coimbatore-Hisar, and Sri Ganganagar-Thiruvananthapuram North-Sriganganagar, and some others trains during the monsoon period from June 15 to October 20. The monsoon timetable will be effective from June 15 from the originating station, officials said.

Informing about the timetable schedule, Captain Shashi Kiran, Chief Public Relations Officer, North Western Railway told ETV Bharat, “There is a change in the timetable of some trains to operate them smoothly during the rains as some areas often got affected by heavy rains.”

Similarly, railways is gearing up to deal with rainy days to ensure smooth operations of trains following which tracks, signals, bridges, culverts, drainage systems, and other structures are being checked by different concerned departments to ensure area waterlogging free.

“To deal with rains and waterlogging issues, the railways has taken several steps like cleaning of culverts at various sections, and clearing muck and grass from tracks,” a senior official of Central Railways told ETV Bharat.

To ensure smooth train operations during monsoon, several measures are taken on railway including ensuring the availability of appropriate rolling stocks with required machineries and labour at identified locations, monsoon patrolling and posting watchman at identified vulnerable locations and sections, appropriate speed restrictions are imposed at vulnerable locations, and providing monsoon reserve materials at identified locations, the ministry informed.

During monsoon, train services are rationalized and operated as per the monsoon timetable in Konkan Railway. Further, based on prevailing conditions and requirements, the train services are also run through alternate routes to minimize inconvenience to passengers, the ministry added.

Railway Bridges
As per Parliament data, there are 1,63,810 railway bridges on Indian railway network till April last year, with Central Railway accounting for 10,004, Eastern Railway (5,675), East Central Railway (7,968), East Coast Railway (12,851), Northern Railway (21,319), North Central Railway (7,081), North Eastern Railway (4,923), Northeast Frontier Railway (7,804), North Western Railway (7,906), Southern Railway (17,702), South Central Railway (17,956), South Eastern Railway (8,193), South East Central Railway (5,897), South Western Railway (9,863), Western Railway (10,534), West Central Railway (8,134).

Inspection Schedule for monsoon
All the railway bridges are inspected twice a year, one before the onset of monsoon and one detailed inspection after the monsoon. The inspections are also carried out, based on condition and identified bridges are inspected more frequently, and detailed technical inspection of steel girders/composite girders/PSC girders and bearings at prescribed frequency, as per Rajya Sabha data.

Speed limit
Normally permitted speed on the bridges is the same as that of sectional speed except in cases where speed restriction is imposed on the bridges. Speed restrictions are imposed on bridges if the corrective/remedial measures are expected to take longer duration due to complexity of the site situation till repair/strengthening/ rehabilitation/rebuilding are completed.

Read more:

1. Chennai Division's First AC EMU Train Begins Operations Today; Check Schedule And Ticket Price
2. Northern Railways To Run Seven Summer Special Trains To Provide Relief To Passengers