Pakistan Railways has decided to install Very High Frequency (VHF) Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) communication system on the four major sections for improvement of communication between staff and locomotive crew to avoid major accidents. Pakistan Railways has invited worldwide tenders for installation of VHF DMR communication system on four sections including (a) Karachi-Peshawar, (b) Lodhran to Khanewal (loop line via Multan), (c) Khanewal to Shorkot to Faisalabad to Shahdara Bagh and (d) Wazirabad-Sangla hill.
Official sources revealed to Business Recorder that Railway Ministry has prepared short, medium and long term plans to control the trains'' accidents. PC-1 of a new project worth Rs 730 million has been submitted to the Planning Division for affective communication system.
Under the project provision of better communication (VHF radio) for improvement of communication between ground staff and locomotive crew would be ensured. Manned level crossings would be further upgraded with provision of signals and tracking/monitoring of trains through GPS/location devices. National Engineering and Scientific Commission (NESCOM) has proposed a comprehensive safety model to the Ministry of Railways to help control the train collisions and accidents on level crossings.
Connected with a radio link, the system would be installed in the locomotive and at level crossings simultaneously, which will have warning lights and sirens to keep people alert. Sources said the locomotive speed system, vision systems, electro-mechanical system, train approaching warning system and train collision avoiding system would be devised to curb accidents in future.
Further Siemens, a renowned German company and the largest electronics manufacturing company in Europe has offered an automated signaling system to Pakistan Railways, a schematic system for level crossings in which train driver would be warned of any danger or hazard on the track beforehand. Digital wireless transmission of video images of train approaching and leaving a level crossing would help the driver and staff to respond to any untoward situation timely.
The Digital wireless system offered by the company is based on RFID Technology, Radiofrequency Identification System where RFID tags would be installed on level crossings and receiver for the same would keep engine driver updated of the ground situation. However, the concerned officers from signaling and electrical branch raised many questions relevant to its implementation in Pakistan Railways level crossings.
Automatic train protection (ATP) as an integral part of recently installed computer based interlocking (CBI) system over Lodhran-Shahdara by Bombardier technology consortium over PR locomotives. ATP devices have been installed in 15 locomotives. Another pilot project has been launched with the help of NESCOM for provision of audio visual warning to the road users (red and green with bell) and the train driver while approaching a level crossing. All level crossings on ML-1 (Karachi to Peshawar) shall be eliminated by providing underpass/flyover under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
According to Railways Ministry data a total of 291 trains'' accidents occurred from 2014 to October 2017, where 106 people were killed and over 450 injured. About 157 trains'' accidents occurred at unmanned level crossings during this period. There are a total of 3389 level crossings on entire Railway system including 1514 manned and 1875 unmanned level crossings.
A joint survey of vulnerable unmanned level crossing was conducted in collaboration with district government in 2013. As a result 436 vulnerable and 75 most vulnerable unmanned level crossings were identified in Punjab, 45 and 30 in Sindh, 37 and 6 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 32 and 32 in Balochistan.
Railways, besides human casualties suffered huge financial losses as well due to the unabated accidents. Pakistan Railways have sustained a total cost of damages worth Rs 287.549 million during 2013-2016. According to break up figures, during the 2013, the Railways sustained damages of Rs 1.63 million, in 2014, Rs 28.548 million, in 2015 Rs 158.538 million whereas during 2016 it sustained damages of Rs 98.83 million.