Friday, May 07, 2010
By Priyal Dave
The technology available on locals for the past 23 years, automatically assist motormen in running trains
The long pending demand of an assistant motorman by motormen to them run suburban train safely has been over-looked time and again by the railway administration, not because of any prejudice, but out of pure rational that has gone unnoticed.
The Auxiliary Warning System (AWS) that has been a part of suburban rakes for about 23 years fills the void that a group of motormen incessantly have been pointing out at.
Talking to the ADC, Jasbeer Singh, a technician at railway carshed for almost 20 years, pointed out to that motormen’s demand for an assistant is unwarranted, because the technological upgradation in the rakes makes it easier for a motorman to run the train.
our comments: The peoples who say that dead man handle is adequate are not aware that this device has been proved time and again to be a total failure.
I shall quote on accident that took place between matunga and sion on down local line on 14-11-1979 at 12.35 hours.
In that accident the motorman Mr. H Dey had reportedly suffered from a heart attack and fell on the dead man handle. Dead Man Handle will only apply emergency brake when pressure is released from it.
His train rammed into the next train at full speed. The impact was so huge that 3 bogies of his train went under the 3 bogies of next train. Several peoples lost their lives.
This information is available under RTI letter NO. BB/C/PG/302/RTI/APR-08/230 DATED 11.06.2008
What I argue that if assistant motorman was there and surely he would have not only prevented the accident but also the live of the motorman Mr. H.DEY would have been saved since the sion hospital was close by.
The railways peoples like its employees and PRO shall keep saying things like:
The system is not so dangerous.
It shall take care of emergency.
We operate a big network, small things are bound to happen.
Every thing is fine and things are checked at periodic interval.
But the fact is that they are not going to do any thing like even after the accident the dead man handle is there as it is. And the accident was classified by Railways as an “Act of God” and the file was closed.
“We have AWS, Common user group (CUG), Dead man handle as well as Train Management System (TMS), which fulfils the role of an assistant. Even if the motorman fails to observe signals or feels sick during service, these systems can easily stop the train and ensure passenger safety. Hence the motormen are wrong in claiming that the railways are endangering commuters’ life by not providing an assistant to the motormen,” explained Singh.
Though the CUG and the TMS do not directly help in ensuring safety of passengers, yet their role cannot be undermined. A senior Western Railway official on condition of anonymity confirmed the same. “The AWS and the Dead man handle directly ensure passenger safety at all times. In fact the AWS is a no-failure system.”
The AWS were provided in suburban rakes between 1984 and 1987. According to technical literature written by Dr. P.C. Sehgal, MD, Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) the function of AWS is, “The AWS system ZUB 100 transmits data from the track side to the vehicle in order to control the required train performance.” The ZUB 100 is one of the newer systems in AWS but the function of the older systems remains more or less remains the same.
our comments: But unfortunately this system has got a isolating switch which can be isolated when this system malfunctions. And when mahim accident took place on on Sunday August 9, 2009. At around 1.05 pm, the AWS was islaoted for the last 3 days.
Often in the past, the motormen have alleged that with the increase in number of signals along the suburban section, there are instances when they tend to miss signals, which put a lot of pressure on them, and also endangers commuters’ life.
“Even if the motorman misses a signal, the AWS automatically brings down the train speed or stops it, whichever is necessary,” explained the officer. The only time AWS does not respond is when it is not switched on, which is not possible because it is compulsory to switch it on as soon as the train is in service, added the official.
Another device that directly caters to passenger safety is the Dead man handle. It is a lever or switch in some cases which the motorman is supposed to press at all times when the train is moving. If it is not pressed, then the train stops automatically sensing emergency in the cabin car. This happens when the motorman faints or suffers any other medical emergency.
The AWS and the dead man handle put together, act as an assistant motorman, the one that a group of motormen have been long demanding for!
Motormen are wrong
“We have AWS, Common User Group (CUG), Dead Man Handle as well as Train Management System (TMS), which fulfils the role of an assistant. Even if the motorman fails to observe signals or feels sick during service, these systems can easily stop the train and ensure passenger safety. Hence the motormen are wrong in claiming that the railways are endangering commuters’ life by not providing an assistant to the motormen.”
– Jasbeer Singh,
a technician at railway carshed.
