Title - Central Railways to launch drive to curb 'signal passing at danger' mishaps

NAGPUR: The Nagpur division of Central Railways will launch a drive to curb mishaps by preventing 'signal passing at danger' (SPAD). A SPAD occurs when a train passes a stop signal without authority to do so. It is a term primarily used within the British railway industry, although it can be applied world-wide.

NAGPUR: The Nagpur division of Central Railways will launch a drive to curb mishaps by preventing 'signal passing at danger' (SPAD). A SPAD occurs when a train passes a stop signal without authority to do so. It is a term primarily used within the British railway industry, although it can be applied world-wide.

As it takes a considerable distance to bring a train to a standstill, many SPADs occur at low speed where the driver has applied the brakes too late.

Very often this occurs when the signal at danger cannot be clearly discerned until close up.

Additional divisional railway manager (ADRM) of Nagpur Central Railway Uday Borwankar said SPAD may occur due to inattention, distraction, fatigue, misreading of an adjacent signal due to line curvature, or sighting on one beyond misunderstanding, miscommunication with a signaller or shunter and signal being poorly lit or mis-showing.

The Central Railway on Saturday organised an interactive seminar for the loco pilots (LPs) and assistant loco pilots (ALPs) on the reasons, consequences and prevention of SPAD cases.

Borwankar said as per the directives from Railway Board, to bring down the cases of SPAD, railway officials will closely monitor duty hours, interact with family members of crew about awareness on the need of rest at home.

"We will also appeal to avoid alcohol 8 hours before duty,"" he said. All supervisors and officers are instructed to carry out ambush checks and take pro-active action against lapses.

More than 110 loco pilots, assistant loco pilots and loco inspectors attended the seminar and offered some valuable suggestions.