Rail Budget 2014: Advanced technology for safety

New Delhi: While the Rail Budget earmarked only Rs 2,200 crore for safety, the speculation is rife that finance minister Arun Jaitley could unveil an integrated safety cess for rail, road and airlines to address the concerns of the shortage of funds to meet the requirement to boost safety measures.

“The General Budget could unveil the measure to collect for an integrated safety fund for rail, road, airlines and waterways. The safety cess could be to the extent of Rs 60,000 crores a year,” said a senior official.

Union railways minister D.V. Sadanand Gowda in his maiden Rail Budget earmarked Rs 2,200 crores for safety aspect.

He made a provision of Rs 1,785 crores for construction of Road over Bridges and Road under Bridges, which would require the state governments to give clearances for the railways to take up the works.

There are over 11,000 unmanned rail crossings, which account for 44 per cent of deaths on rail tracks.

Mr Gowda in his speech said that multi-pronged approach would be taken up to eliminate unmanned level crossings.

The railways is likely to tap the safety fund created through cess to eliminate the unmanned level crossings.

“Advance technology for rail-flaw detection through vehicle brone ultrasonic flaw detection system to detect rail and weld fractures would be taken up on pilot basis at two locations,” said Mr Gowda. He also said that simulation centres to study causes of accidents would be set up.

Additionally, pilot project on automatic door-closing in mainline and sub-urban coaches would also be talen up.

In a bid to instill confidence in women travelers, 4,000 women RPF constables would be recruited in addition to 7,000 constables to man the trains. Also, walls would be built around stations on PPP mode to ensure safety at stations.

The budget proposes multi-pronged approach to make Railway journey safe and secure and comfortable for passengers.

Now all major stations will have foot-over bridges, escalator and lifts.