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Poor visibility forces Railways to increase fog pass devices

Jan 03, 2024 07:45 PM IST

The Railways said they have provisioned 19,742 fog pass devices to ensure smooth rail operations and avoid delay of trains.

NEW DELHI: The Indian Railways on Wednesday said that it has increased the supply of fog pass devices to ensure smooth operations with an aim to ensure that train running schedules are not affected.

Every year, during foggy weather in the winter months, a large number of trains are affected especially in Northern parts of the country. (Photo by Santosh Kumar / Hindustan Times)
Every year, during foggy weather in the winter months, a large number of trains are affected especially in Northern parts of the country. (Photo by Santosh Kumar / Hindustan Times)

Every year, during foggy weather in the winter months, a large number of trains are affected especially in Northern parts of the country. Around 31 trains were delayed on December 25 due to poor visibility.

“To ensure smooth rail operations and avoid delay of trains, Indian Railways have provisioned 19,742 Fog Pass Devices during the foggy weather. This initiative marks a crucial step in improving the reliability of train services, reducing delays, and enhancing overall passenger safety,” a statement issued by Railways read. The number of these devices used was around 12,500 in 2021.

A GPS based navigation device, it helps the loco pilot to navigate during dense fog conditions. “It provides on-board real-time information (Display as well as voice guidance) to Loco Pilot regarding Location of fixed landmarks such as Signal, Level Crossing gate (Manned & Unmanned), Permanent Speed Restrictions, Neutral Sections,” an official said.

“The Device will give signal indications if the loco is approaching any obstruction. It will indicate with a voice message at around 500m on approach. This the device will ensure safety of passengers during poor visibility,” the official added.

“ The device is suitable for train speeds up to 160 KMPH and has built-in rechargeable battery back-up for 18 hrs. It is portable, compact in size, light in weight (not more than 1.5 Kg including battery) and of robust design,” the statement by the Railways said.

Describing the general features of the fog pass device, the Railways said that it is suitable for all types of locomotives and sections like single line, double line, electrified as well as non electrified sections and will remain unaffected by weather conditions like fog or rain.

As per the data, 4,491- the maximum number of these devices have been provided to Northern Railways followed by 2,955 provided to South Eastern Railways, 1,891 to East Central Railway, 1,762 to North Eastern Railway, 1,289 to North Central, 1,120 to South Central, 1,046 to West Central, 1,103 to Eastern Railways and 1,101 to Northeast Frontier.

South East Central (997),North Western (992), Central Railway (560) and East Coast railway (375) were provided with relatively lesser devices. However, South Western was provided with the least number of devices (60).

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