Passenger Safety in Indian Railways - Additional Inputs

Dear Friends,

Based on your inputs below are the Issues, Root Causes and Identified solutions as related to Passenger Safety in Indian Railways.

Please review them and if you have anything additional to add, please share that via your comment.

We will soon be submitting this whitepaper to the Railway Ministry.

Thanks,
Rajendra Pratap Gupta

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Passenger Safety in Indian Railways

Issues and Root Causes identified:
1. No guards in the compartments even at night time
2. The train driver has no idea of what is going on in the compartments
3. A lot of cities still have single track connectivity
4. Signalling and interlocking is done manually
5. No systems to operate the train in heavy fog
6. People without tickets or with waiting tickets can easily walk into a reserved compartment
7. Railway tracks not in their prime position
8. Eve teasing is very common on railway stations
9. Thefts and armed robberies happen in trains
10. No precautions against fire. No fire alarms installed
11. Safety of women and children is a big concern
12. Train and the platform are not at the same level which warrants danger for the passengers
13. Luggage is often lost inside trains and on platforms
14. No information display inside the train
15. Absence of an auto braking system in case of an emergency
16. Thefts take place inside train when passengers are sleeping in night
17. Accidents at unmanned railway crossings
18. AC coaches catching fire due to short circuits
19. Lack of first aid kits

Solutions identified:
1. Police verification of pantry staff in train should be done
2. CCTV at both doors to be installed in all coaches
3. Announcement system Or Panic Button to be installed in all coaches so that any passenger observing theft/ danger/ fire etc can inform to security personnel/ guard immediately
4. More no. of Railway police should be on board on each train
5. They should take continuous rounds within train to keep watch. Usually they move once and then sit somewhere.
6. Study on material used to build coaches required to make it fire resistant
7. Many passengers mix alcohol with soft drink and drink in train, they are risk to fellow passengers. Police should keep strict watch on such practices
8. Auto allocation of berths can be done as - families in separate coaches & single male passengers in separate coaches to avoid any nuisance to families. Berth to single lady passengers to be allotted in family coach
9. Alertness, quick action and presence of mind are key factors for security personnel. They should be trained vigorously on this. Current observation is - they are lethargic, do not take pride in their job, somehow finish one round and then relax.
10. If security personnel want to question any passenger, it must be done in front of camera (located at gates) to avoid any complaint on harassment by them as well as false claims by passengers. more

Helpful Make Railways Better Sep 23

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Sivaram Iyer (Mechanical Engineer)

Some Practical and easy to execute suggestions: 1. Fence and isolate railway premises and platforms, from unauthorised entry. 2. Bar codes on railway tickets and platform ticket, which can be scanned while entering the station and the train. This will prevent unauthorised entries to the station and train. 3. Put luggage limits and scan luggage to ensure revenue and safety. 4. High time to implement Automatic doors. 5. Drill for railway security without intimation will prevent incidence like Mumbai blasts. If security is incompetent dismiss current staffs and replace them. No lapse on safety matters. 6. Give projects to engineering students to enhance the current design and reduce costs and shortlist with expert panels. 7. Smoke dictators in all coaches and lavatories. Microwave or infrared cooking to be implemented in pantry. These will avoid fire accidents. 8. Male and female Police officers in casual dresses to monitor various activities in the train. more

Oct 06

Satish Kumar (IT & Security Expert)

Some suggestions as follows : 1. Every train equipped with Advance GPS system with satellite monitor control room so that possible to run more trains over same tracks also the status of the train every time. So that if a train stop in a position then why ? accident or something else is definable within minutes 2. Every ticket as smart card as metro. full information is detailed putted in that. If reserve train than the ticket easy takes from reserve ticket to smart card counter. Also on other side if a passenger want to print ticket submit the smart card on target station and takes the print out. 3. Track maintenance system equipped with new automaton based system so that maintenance is so easy. 4. Every station with ticket counter, luggage entry point, station in/out area should equipped with CCTV and every coach gates also quipped. 5. Satellite phone system in driver front. 6. Every CCTV watched on zonal level control with central level control rooms. 7. Every group of security guards head equipped with required communication device so that every time inform him/take info from in any cases. 8. No any lose way to in/out ways from station. Only proper ways to go outside. Make sure No any person move on railway tracks on stations. 9. Clean every platform, tracks, in/out ways, waiting points regularly monitor through CCTV. much next time. more

Oct 06

Naina Yadav (journalist)

सभी को मेरा नमस्कार... रेल्वे की प्राथमिकता हो कि भारतीय रेल्वे में यात्रा करते समय यात्री खुद को सुरक्षित महसूस करें..सबसे पहले महिलाओं के लिए--- हर ट्रेन मे महिला कोच तो होता है लेकिन वहां पहले तो सीटों की संख्या पर्याप्त नहीं हैं..जो कम दूरी का सफर करने वाली महिला यात्री हैं उनके लिए महिला कोच ही बेहतर है..रोजाना जाने कितनी लड़कियां पढ़ाई करने या नौकरी के लिए रोज सफर करती हैं..साथ ही कई यात्रियों के लिए महिला कोच सुरक्षित और पर्याप्त जगह है लिकन वहां पर्यापत सीट्स नहीं होती..इस वजह उन्हें जनरल कोच की ओर जाना होता जहां वो सुरक्षित महसूस कर सकें यह कहना मुशकिल है..दूसरी बात यह कि महिला कोच महिला यात्रियों के लिए है लेकिन यहां महिलाओं के अलावा कई पुरुष भी कोच में चढ़ जाते हैं..किसी स्टेशन पर पुलिस को देखकर कुछ क्षणों के लिए नीचे उतर जाएंगें..लेकिन पुलिस के वहां से जाते से ही वह फिर कोच में चढ़ जाएंगे.. रेल्वे को इस ओर ध्यान देना चाहिए सुरक्षा प्रदान कैसे की जाए..और उसे कैसे सख्ती से लागू किया जाए.. more

Oct 06

Sushil Choudhari

while a person booking reservevation shoul have an option for lower seat if he is a patient.The TTE can verify if the traveller is realy a patient.I am suffering from live disease and have to travel from visakhapatnam to hyderabad on regular basis.many time i get upper seat and have to request the fellow passenger who may oblige or may not.Also there is no conncession to liver disease traveler where as kidney patient can avail 75 % discount for himself and attender.I personnly feel the pinch as i have to take some one along with me for every checkup.Kindly put up this matter with concerned department to help all LIVER PATIENTS. 09848185560 i more

Oct 06

Venkataraman Panchapakesan

The best way is to make many services private for eg :a) upkeep of stations , security to be given to CISF and a security fee to be charged from each passenger for station as well as train security Make stations like airport not to be accessed by people other than those travelling in trains local trains ,emu ,demu etc to be delinked from main stations All coaches must have fire extinguishers and also hydrant system for safety from fire Major express and super fast trains mus tmove only from poin tt o point and not stop in every station A hub and spoke model for railway is a must to improve speed and safety /security etc in trains Also like private Volvo buses run on roads ,same way private participation should be encouraged in passenger trains like freight trains . Panchapakesan v more

Oct 05

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