Following reports of three trains derailing on Thursday, newly-appointed railways minister Piyush Goyal ordered that rails earmarked for construction of new lines during the year will be diverted towards strengthening tracks in accident-prone sections.
Seven coaches of Jabalpur-bound Shaktipunj Express jumped the tracks in UP, in third such mishap in the state within a month. The engine and power car of the Ranchi- Delhi Rajdhani Express derailed near Minto Bridge, injuring one person. In the third incident, six wagons of a goods train derailed in Maharashtra hampering rail services.
The railways minister has also set a one-year target for eliminating all Unmanned Level Crossings (ULCs) existing on the 67,000-kilometre rail network.
At Thursday’s meeting, which also saw participation from officials of the Safety Directorate , the minister instructed officials to take steps to procure rails for constructing new lines. Goyal also asked officials to replace the Integral Coach Factory (ICF)-design coaches with the German-design Linke-Hoffman-Busch (LHB) coaches.
Ahead of the approaching winter months, Goyal has also asked officials to make provisions for adequate numbers of fog lights.
{{/usCountry}}Ahead of the approaching winter months, Goyal has also asked officials to make provisions for adequate numbers of fog lights.
{{/usCountry}}