Inaugurating a seminar on safety, organised by the Institution of Railway Signal and Telecom Engineers on Friday, Singh said latest technology and equipment should be utilised for updating signalling and telecommunication systems. About 80 per cent of the rail accidents in the country were caused due to manual failures. Therefore, it was necessary to enhance safety measures for smooth running of trains with the help of better and more sophisticated signalling and telecom technology, he added.

A number of proven high-tech devices were now available to prevent accidents caused because of human error. These included automatic train protection system (ATP) which was a safeguard against collisions at stations and train radio communication system for emergency communication between drivers and control rooms and stations.

These would be adopted on a large scale for safer movement of trains, Singh said. SK Khanna, member (mechanical), Railway Board, said that the adoption of optical fibre technology has not only improved communication systems in railways but has also proved useful in providing public communication to a large section of people.