Rail budget could roll out more trains despite Kakodkar alert
The committee has strongly recommended stopping the production of ICF coaches and switching completely to LHB ones, but with only one LHB coach factory at Kapurthala, the railways continues to rely on ICF coaches.
“At present, there are 43,000 ICF coaches running which have to be replaced with the LHB coaches in five years,” the report says.
The committee also recommended installing automatic train protection equipment in trains. The Indian Railways’ attempt at this, however, failed as its train protection and warning system was hit with technical glitches and was held unreliable. “We are working on a new anti-collision system but when we’ll get a foolproof system is not fixed as yet,” a Rail Board official told FE.
The independent railway safety authority still remains a distant dream as nobody is clear about its contours or whether it will see the light of the day or not.
“The formation of the authority is still not clear,” the official said.
The apex body of the railways too came in for criticism from the Kakodkar committee. “The Rail Board has the unique distinction of being the rule maker, operator and the regulator, all wrapped in one,” the report says.
For better track record
* Panel suggests elimination of all level crossings (manned & unmanned) in 5
