A feasible technology based idea to reduce train accidents. An open suggestion to Hon Railway Minister.

A feasible technology based idea to reduce train accidents.

Author: P. Abraham Paul. e-mail: papaul@hotmail.com

It is almost impossible to prevent accidents that are willfully caused by miscreants. Blowing out of tracks or trains with mines or bombs with remote control devices are difficult to prevent. Looking at the enormity of the rail network and its heavy usage, implementation of fail proof and tamper proof technology also will be an extremely difficult task. A full relief can happen only with major social change, that is not going to happen soon the way the political situation in the country is what it is now.

It is too simple for any one to cause a severe accident. For example, a miscreant in the garb of benevolent chaivala can feed doped muffat drinks to the drivers and guard at a station to make them inactive in few minutes. Any ordinary miscreant can cover the signal lamps with a gunny bag in the night to easily misguide the drivers. Such as these can cause accidents like the one happened yesterday.

It simply means that leaving the safety aspect fully to humans alone is always prone to errors or failure. Therefore, it is necessary to find a way out and do something quickly to prevent such accidents happen due to human error or signaling failure or other type of tampering of the system by miscreants, even if the chances are is only one in thousand, by introducing some tamperproof technology based solutions. Fully GPS based technology may not serve the pupose but can be use to supplement other methods.

In this regards, I would suggest an easier one which is feasible with available technology.

Description: At close intervals of the entire rail route and at every signaling point and block, there shall be wireless controlled ‘Toll Gate’ like mechanism in replacement or in addition to the current flag / light signaling. These ‘Toll Gate’ systems are to be networked along the route and controlled by ‘Stationery Units’ and monitored at every station and control stations and with "Local Units" in every locmotive.

'Stationery Units'. The ‘Stationery Units’ are located at required intervals along the railway track and shall be networked with redundant back bone optical fiber cable network with features to monitor the condition and continuity of rail tracks and information on the movements of trains on the tracks in the vicinity.

The ‘Stationery Units’ shall have wireless networking to interact with the ‘Local Units’ in the locomotives over local wireless network to enable permission to pass and to warn or stop the engine remotely if any locomotive trespasses without access permit. In case of any discontinuity or tampering of tracks at any point or any system failure, there shall be facility to autonomously generate alarm  across the network and the local units.

'Local Unit'. Every locomotive shall have a wireless enabled special purpose computerized ‘Local Unit’ that remains always online with the railway wireless network. At every rail toll gate, the ‘Local unit’ in the locomotive interacts with the ‘Stationery unit’ to gain permission to passage.

Every loco engine and guard’s cabin shall be provided with GPS enabled, fail proof communication facility to interact with Station masters, Control room and with guards and drivers of other trains in the vicinity. In addition there shall be a live LCD display unit prompted by the Stationery units' / Control room,in the driver’s cabin showing the tracks in the vicinity, its own position and movement and the location of other trains over the tracks and in the stations in the vicinity.

To avoid tampering by miscreants, these stationery units should be in tamper proof encasement, located hidden underground. The signaling between the stationery units and 'Toll Gate' units could be wired and wirless. Signalling beween the 'Stationerry units / 'Toll Gate' and 'Local units in the locomotive shall be with failproof wireless technology and encrypted to prevent hacking. In case of failure of the system or network or detection of any tampering of rail or Toll Gate systems, there shall be facility to warn and if necessary to stop movements of all trains in the vicinity.

it is possible to get these done if dedicated and focused attention is given by the Railway Ministry.