Patna. Danapur division of East Central Railway has started preparations for safe operation of trains during the coming cold and fog. It is being told that after the recent accident of North East Express, Railways is more cautious about safety and security. This time Railways is preparing to buy 50 thousand firecrackers. Apart from this, in view of the fog, fog personnel will also be deployed, who will be provided with firecrackers. With the help of these firecrackers, the train driver will be informed about home signal. At the same time, if experts are to be believed, these firecrackers are set with the help of clips in the middle of the sleepers of the railway tracks, 270 meters before the home signal. During this period the speed of trains will also reduce. According to railway officials, a meeting will be held soon and a circular will be issued in this regard.
Signal information is not available due to excessive fog
When the train driver is unable to guess the signal due to heavy fog, he comes to know of the home signal by the sound of firecrackers. As soon as the wheels of the engine come on the firecrackers, a sound starts. This lets the train driver understand that the stoppage station or railway crossing is close. After this he becomes alert. Fog signal railway alarm will be used in fog. There is a stock of more than 1800 railway alarms at major stations of the division including Patna Junction, Danapur, Rajendra Nagar Terminal, Patliputra Junction.
What is cracker system?
Danapur Division has strengthened its arrangements to maintain smooth rail traffic during the fog and misty weather in the month of December. In this era of modernity, the Railway Department is still adopting the system from the British era to show signals to trains in fog. Every time in this season of dense fog and mist, signal information will be given to the driver with the help of firecrackers. Due to dense mist and fog, train drivers cannot see the signals falling on the track. In such a situation, 270 meters before the home signal of each station, two firecrackers are set at a distance of ten meters above the track. As soon as the weight of the railway engine falls on these firecrackers, they burst with a loud noise. The sound of firecrackers informs the driver that there is a signal 270 meters away. The personnel who set these firecrackers on the track stand 45 meters away from the train as per the rules.
How is visibility determined?
A mark is placed a few meters away from the home signal of each railway station. Then the railway personnel stand at this marked spot and look within a radius of 180 meters diameter. If the rail signal is not visible from this distance then it is considered that the rail signal is not visible. Therefore, firecrackers are burst on the track. This process is called Visibility Test Object in Rails. In these circumstances, drivers are instructed to keep the speed of the vehicle at 60 km per hour instead of 110 km. According to railway sources, the workers who burst crackers during fog are not required to do more than three hours of duty in a shift. After three hours of duty, they are given three hours of rest.
GPS system in some important vehicles
Apart from Shatabdi, Jan Shatabdi, Duronto, many important mail and express trains are fitted with Global Positioning System (GPS). Through this system, drivers get signal information while sitting in the engine, but still most of the trains in the country do not have this facility. In such a situation, due to mist and fog, these trains are either canceled or they run very late. In such a situation, Railways has decided to purchase firecrackers before the cold to ensure timely operation of these trains.