‘Human error blamed’, ministry confirms ‘Kavach’ system not installed on Bengal route

New Delhi: Another major collision occurred near North Bengal’s Rangapani station when a goods train disregarded a signal and hit the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjungha Express on Monday morning. Preliminary reports from the Rail Ministry and North-Frontier zone indicate that 1,100 passengers were on board. The incident, near New Jalpaiguri, has led to a thorough investigation, with railway officials primarily attributing the cause to human error.

Since 2023, a series of train accidents have plagued the Indian Railways, the largest transporter in the country. The triple train collision in Odisha’s Balasore on June 2, 2023, claimed 296 lives and injured 1,200 people.

Another accident occurred in Andhra Pradesh on October 29, 2023, devastating the towns of Alamanda and Kantakapalle and resulting in 14 fatalities. These incidents are part of a troubling trend.

In the wake of the incidents, experts criticise the government for failing to roll out the ‘Kavach’ technology across the rail network. This made-in-India system, which helps prevent accidents if two trains are travelling on the same line, was installed on the tracks in Darjeeling where the two trains collided. It was also not installed on the Balasore track.

Rail Board CEO Jaya Verma Sinha stated that the Railways plans to deploy the safety system on the Delhi-Guwahati route, aiming to cover over 6,000 km of tracks by next year. Bengal is included in the 3,000 km of tracks set to be protected by Kavach this year. Currently, Kavach is operational on over 1,500 km of tracks. The Centre has a long-term goal of covering around 34,000 km of the rail network. The Indian Railway system spans over 1 lakh kilometres.

Kavach, an automatic train protection (ATP) system, was developed by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RSCO) with three Indian firms. The system controls train speed and helps locomotive drivers avoid missing danger signals, ensuring safe operations, especially in low-visibility conditions. Kavach is certified for safety integrity level 4 (SIL-4) operations and is promoted as the world’s cheapest ATP system, costing roughly 50 lakh (five million) rupees per kilometre. The Union Budget for FY 2022-23 allocated funds for the rapid implementation of Kavach across 2,000 km of track and sanctioned its deployment along 34,000 km of the Golden Quadrilateral rail route by 2027-2028.

The system comprises three core elements: trackside RFID tags between the running rails, onboard locomotives (including RFID readers, computers, brake interface equipment, and UHF and GSM radio links), and radio infrastructure (towers and modems). Multiple data inputs determine criteria such as location and direction, with onboard odometers periodically reset by passing over an RFID tag. GPS satellite links verify time data. Drivers receive information primarily via a screen interface, and an event recorder retains a record of all interactions. Data exchanged includes speed, direction, location, and identifiers (individual to train and tracks). Track-fitted RFID tags communicate upcoming signals, level crossings, and areas covered by Kavach.

In this recent accident, reports indicate that the goods train overshot the signal, leading to the collision. However, an investigation will be crucial in determining the exact cause, with one report suggesting low visibility as a contributing factor. The accident has raised concerns about its impact on rail connectivity, particularly along the Chicken’s Neck corridor, which connects Northeastern cities with the rest of the country. As a result, several trains have been stopped at Malda and Sealdah stations. As of Monday evening, nine people, including crew members and the loco pilot of the goods train, have lost their lives. Additionally, nine individuals have sustained grievous injuries, and 32 have minor injuries.

Further, in an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha last year, the government acknowledged an increase in collisions to six in FY23, compared to two in FY22. Derailment incidents also rose to 36 in FY23 from 27 in FY22.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted efforts to enhance safety and prevent train accidents. Measures include the establishment of the Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK) in 2017-18, with significant investment in upgrading critical safety assets. Additionally, advanced interlocking systems have been installed at over 6,400 stations, and level crossing gates have been interlocked at more than 11,000 locations to improve safety.

Earlier this week the minister also claimed that the railways have focused on track safety with complete track circuiting at over 6,300 stations and the use of modern track structures featuring high-strength rails and prestressed concrete sleepers.

Further, mechanisation of track laying and the use of longer rails have also been adopted to minimise errors and improve safety.