Title - For safe run through fog, Rlys must spend Rs 20,000 cr

NEW DELHI, JAN. 3:  To free the Indian Railways network from fog-related problems, at least Rs 20,000 crore will need to be spent on signalling systems, fencing the railway lines, removing level-crossings and providing safety devices to workmen on the rail tracks.

The amount, which is two-thirds of the annual passenger revenues, will be just the capital investment required for putting these systems in place along the stretch of the rail network that is worst affected by fog, say Railway sources. Every year, in the winter, hundreds of trains are delayed, diverted or cancelled because of heavy fog, putting tens of thousands of passengers to great inconvenience. This year, it’s no different.

On Thursday, some trains were running late by up to 23 hours. Northern Railways has cancelled 39 trains till January 17, and partially cancelled ten trains.

Many freight trains also get slowed down, but it is difficult to evaluate the impact as there is no time-table for goods trains. All this hits the Railways’ revenue, apart from causing inconvenience to passengers and freight movers. For the Railways, however, the top priority in this season of dense fog is avoiding accidents and fatalities.

To make the entire railway network fog-proof and safer, about Rs 55,000 crore is required. “But since a third of the network is the worst impacted by fog, about a third of that amount would be required to reduce the winter-related delays,” explained a source.

Advanced signalling systems have to be put in place. For the entire Railways network, this would require Rs 30,000 crore. Men who maintain the tracks must be given devices that provide automatic warning of an approaching train; this would cost Rs 10,000 crore.

All level-crossings have to be removed and road over- or under-bridges built — a Rs 9,000-crore job. Also, tracks have to be fenced, a task that requires about Rs 6,000 crore for the entire network.

In fact, earlier attempts by the Railways to fence rail lines have failed. The Delhi-Agra route was fenced but subsequently the fence was damaged by people crossing the tracks.