‘It’s about discipline’

The Central Railway needs to get its act together and enforce much stricter maintenance schedules to ensure more trains don’t derail the way they have over the last month.

The Central Railway needs to get its act together and enforce much stricter maintenance schedules to ensure more trains don’t derail the way they have over the last month.

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Track crossovers (where two tracks merge) — where most of the derailments have happened — are sensitive parts of the track and need special attention, said experts and former railway officers who have worked on the line.

“It’s about discipline and keeping to strict schedules. The railways today have all the advanced technology and equipment they need, but there are some grey areas that need attention. Also, there is always a tendency for empty trains to derail,” said B Rajaram, former managing director of Konkan Railway, and the man who oversaw the laying of the ambitious Konkan Railway line through the hilly, forested terrain.

Asked if there could be a problem with the new set of trains that have begun service on local routes in Mumbai, he said it all depends on the bogie design. “There can be a problem if the bogie is too rigid and does not move easily on curves, or if it is improperly designed. But I’m sure the railways had checked these aspects before inducting the new trains into service,” he said.

Western Railway’s retired principal chief engineer R.B. Ajgaonkar, who has also worked on the Central Railway said: “One should compare the number of derailments to the number of train movements. The number of services has risen immensely. The railways need to be more careful with maintenance. Diamond crossings on the track (where two tracks intersect) are always more prone to such accidents.”

He added: “If you look at VT, there is a sharp 8-degree curve as the train enters the station, which is a bit risky.”
G.K. Sathe, former additional general manager at both Central and Western Railway, said there could be several reasons behind the derailments and that each case would have to be studied individually.

Another senior retired official, on condition of anonymity, said there is too much pressure on the suburban system and in the haste to restore services, the quality of work can be compromised.

This was seen in the derailment of a local train at Mumbai CST on November 13, and officials reopened the track for use within a few hours. Within 36 hours, there was another derailment at the same spot.

“The tracks in Mumbai are the best-maintained, A-category tracks in the country. I would suggest the railways go for heavier tracks as the pressure on them is only going to increase with time,” he said.