LUCKNOW: For the last one year, the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), the research and design organisation of the Indian Railways, has a blueprint ready that could elevate Mumbai’s travelling comfort, especially during the harsh summer. The organisation has a design in place for an air-conditioned (AC) train for the city’ suburban network. Its efforts, however, have no takers as neither the Mumbai Railway Vikar Corporation (MRVC) nor the Central or Western Railway wants the project to be taken to a workshop, officials said.

A K Gupta, executive director, Passenger Services and Electric Multiple Unit (EMU), said that the reasons could be many. For instance, the most common being the number of commuters would have to be drastically reduced to enable the doors to be shut. Also, a decision would have to be taken on cost economics. Increasing passenger growth has turned the project into a point of debate.

The number of commuters would be reduced by around 200 per coach from the current 500 in ‘super dense crush load’ situations during peak hours. “Closing of doors would be difficult as around 15-20 people are generally hanging or are present at the door area,” added Gupta. Another official said that if the door would not be shut, the train would not move forward.

“We have designed an AC train as we know that it would be required. All the specifications and designs are in place. We are ready to manufacture an AC EMU. But not all depends on public demand. The decision is with the MRVC and the railways now,” said director general, RDSO, K B L Mittal.

According to officials, first class coaches would be made AC first and the seating arrangement has not been decided yet.

“The current format may be followed or the seats may be lined against the length of the train. Many possibilities are being explored, including having three AC coaches. Each coach would come at an additional cost of Rs 50-60 lakh,” they added.

Talks of getting AC coaches have been on for around a decade. Around 10 years ago, WR converted a section of a coach to AC, at its Mahalaxmi workshop, at an additional cost of Rs 17 lakh. It was even run between Mumbai Central and Bandra. However, the plan had to be abandoned as WR failed to get the requisite permissions. There was also a proposal to run an AC train on Central Railway between CST and Kalyan, but it was rejected as it did not get permission from the Railway Board; commuters also protested that the railways was wasting its resources on the elite. Also, around the same time, the then DRM of WR had proposed to convert all first class compartments to AC ones as a value-added service. This proposal too did not see the light of the day.

Tags:Mumbai|Railway Board|Western Railway|AC local

A division bench of Justice Devi Prasad Singh and Justice Satish Chandra expressed displeasure that passengers often fall from trains because of open doors and due to overcrowding in the compartments. The passengers, due to over rush or mismanagement of the Railways, are compelled to stand near the gate and on account of jerks in the train, they fall down from the door, noticed the bench and expected that such situation should be checked.

It is the duty of the Railways to ensure safety and security of the human life otherwise any loss to life will increase burden on it to pay compensation.

The order came from the bench while dismissing a first appeal filed by Railways against an order of the Railway Tribunal, whereby it had awarded compensation to the dependent of Bhola. He boarded Vaishali Express at Gorakhpour Railway station for New Delhi on September 10, 1999. As the train reached between Ferozabad and Madaankorar Railway stations, Bhola fell from the train and died on account of injuries sustained by him in front of his father Laxmi Singh and one Subhash Chandra.

On a petition of Laxmi Singh, the Tribunal found the Railways negligent and awarded compensation to the father. The railways pleaded in the HC that it was not an accident but Bhola fell because of his own fault. The court ruled that the Railways could not bring anything on record to indicate that the deceased had fallen down from the train for his own fault.

“Why a ban only on movement of passenger trains? We want restrictions to also be imposed on movement of goods train as it also poses a risk for the driver and other staff,” said H.N. Singh, secretary of the association.

The association members declared that they would not drive train at night during Naxalite-sponsored bandhs. “During the day time we will work, but the speed limit of the trains should be restricted to 30km per hour,” said Singh. Their decision will remain effective for drivers and assistant drivers of passenger trains.

There have been a number of incidents in the Chakradharpur-Kharagpur section, when Naxalites have targeted the railways by abducting guards and drivers during bandhs.

The association has threatened to intensify its agitation if the grievances are overlooked. Moreover, the association has demanded that during naxal bandhs, the railways should seek the help of paramilitary forces to monitor the railway tracks.

Meanwhile, the body of Niranjan Singh (35), the assistant driver of the goods train who was killed in yesterday’s tragedy near Jhargram, arrived at Tatanagar this evening. The body was kept at the lobby of the association office at the railway station. The aggrieved members of the association and the family members of the deceased demanded compensation of Rs 50 lakh and employment for the dead driver’s next of kin.

Two persons from the steel city, including the driver, lost their lives in the tragic incident. P.Upendra Rao alias Deepu (40), a passenger, was killed in the incident. Rao was a resident of M Road in Bistupur and owned an eatery in Bistupur market.

train accident

motorman

City’s motormen have asked the Fast Track Committee formed by the railway board to give them an audience to express their views and offer solutions to avoid another strike on June 15.
They have also said that the administration can help them by adjusting their duty timings so that they can de-stress themselves by indulging in extra curricular activities such as yoga, sports and social work.
“The committee should meet us and hear our grievances for an amicable solution to avoid a repeat of the strike,” a WR motorman said.
“If the railways do not adjust our shifts, many of the motormen who are known to be involved in extra curricular activities will not be able to continue them. The management philosophy tells that such creative activities have positive impact over professional performance,” a letter from the Motormen’s Joint Action Forum stated.
“The administration should also support the motormen in celebrating national and regional festivals. The Motormen Social and Welfare Association organises a family get-together every year and group picnics. These efforts, useful in de-stressing the motormen, will be curbed in the absence of flexibility in duty timings,” it added.
“A number of informal groups such as the Guard- Motormen Ramayan Mandal, that consists of guards and motormen organising short-term religious programmes, will also be affected if the administration remains rigid,” it said.
Motormen on Mumbai’s suburban trains went on a two-day strike on May 3, paralysing the transport system. Home Minister R.R. Patil had said that the railway administration would get back to them by June 15.

Central Railway motormen have objected to the new services, saying commuters should not blame them if there is no one to drive these new trains.
“The new trains will add pressure on us. As it is we are understaffed and motormen will have to put in extra hours,” motorman’s union leader on Central Railway Jayant Nimsudkar said.
“The public and media should not blame us if no one is there to drive these trains.”
Nimsudkar said the union conveyed motormen’s grievances to the fast track committee in Delhi two days ago and expects results by June 15.
Motormen on Mumbai’s suburban trains went on a strike on May 3 to protest against working conditions. At Churchgate, angry commuters broke a ticket-booking window and blamed the railway administration for its failure to gauge the seriousness of the situation, and its inability to ensure smooth running of services.
Home Minister RR Patil intervened and said that the administration will get back to the motormen by June 15.

“Our life has become miserable due to duty timings. We have tried all means and are waiting for the outcome of the June 15 meeting.

If motormen are forced to go on an agitation again, it will be irreversible and we will not be responsible for any public inconvenience,” a WR motorman said. “Many of us requested the administration to give us alternate jobs, but the railways are not allowing us to do that.

We don’t get weekly offs, we hardly get time to sleep and spend time with the family,” the motormen said, adding that this was a violation of their basic human rights. A letter was forwarded by the motormen to the commission and the chief justice on Friday, saying that the motormen are forced to work 365 days round the clock and there are no means to drink water or answer nature’s calls in the driving cab or during duty hours.

Motormen on suburban trains went on a near-two day strike on May 3, paralysing the city’s transport system. Commuters blamed the railway administration for its failure to gauge the seriousness of the situation.

Home Minister R.R. Patil intervened and said the railway administration would address their grievances by June 15. Motormen now say that doctors on Western Railway refuse to give them medical certificates even if a motorman is genuinely ill and so they have to work even when they are not well.

They also complained against rowdy commuters and bad working conditions in the driving cab, leading to health problems.

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.

download the original copy from here
The matter has been discussed. The representatives present on behalf of the Association has emphasized on the following four issues and expected from the management of Railways that these may be resolved at the earliest so that the grievances of the worker which are pending since long are settled.

1. The grade of different cadre in loco Running Staff should be upgraded adequately to reflect the status of different cadre after merging of different pay scales in one.
2. The rate of Kilometers should be improved based on RAC 1981 formula.
3. ODS allowance for all cadre of Loco Running staff
4. Revision of HOER in the present context of working.

On the above mentioned four issues the management has submitted the reply dated 25.3.2010 and explained the position as follows

1. The rate of kilometerage allowance (item no.2)figuring in the and revision of HOER (item no.4) are figuring in the agenda of the forth coming meeting under Joint Consultative Machinery and item No.3 ie.ODS Allowance for all cadre of Loco Running Staff is figuring as a PNM raised by the recognized Staff Federation.
Regarding item no.1 of Grade pay of different cadre in Loco Running Staff they stated that the same has been done on the recommendation of the 6th central pay commission and ministry of Railways is not competent to accept the demand for any up gradation in the grade pay beyond the accepted recommendation of the 6th central pay commission. Further the anomalies committee have been constituted at the national as well as the departmental levels as per the items laid down by DOPT
After hearing the parties it is on record that Ministry of Railways (Railway Board) vide order no.ERB-1/2010/23/7 dated 12/15.2.2010 has constituted a Fast track committee to look into the issues of Loco Running Staff comprising of the following members
1. Executive Director/PC-I
2. Executive Director/PC-II
3. Executive Director, Finance (E)
4. Adviser/Elect (RS)
5. Executive Director/ME (Tr)
6. Executive Director (Chg)
The terms of the reference of the committee are as under
The committee will look into the issues raised by various Federations/Unions/Associations and will also seek views from Federations, Associations, Unions, and employees as considered appropriate regarding.
a. Grade pay and fixation of pay on promotion vis- a vis direct recruitment
b. Allowances to Loco Running staff as per the recommendations of 6th pay commission.
c. Applicability of running allowances w.e.f.1.1.2006 based on revised rate of running allowances and related demands.
d. Computed running allowances in suburban sections and
e. Any other issue/demand which is referred to the committee

The committee will submit its report within a period of two months from the date of constitution. Further the duration of the Committee has been extended up to 15.6.2010.
The issues raised by the Association they have stated that the representation in this regard are already submitted before the Fast track committee and the Association has also demanded a personal hearing but the Association informed that they have neither been given any personal hearing nor the status on the demand are intimated to them, as a result there is lot of resentment among the workers to know the status of their pending issues.
After hearing I hereby, direct that the Fast Track Committee will give a personal hearing to the Association within one month from today and it is also expected that the said committee whose tenure has now been extended up to 15.6.2010 may submit their report by that time. In the mean time since Association have already served a notice for Hunger Strike was called off after the intervention by the RLC© New Delhi, they are further advised till the matter is pending in conciliation, any strike during the pendency of conciliation is violation of section 22(1)(d) of the I.D.Act and they are requested to kindly co-operate and await the positive outcome of the discussion and the issues pending before the Fast Track committee for appropriate decision.
As regard to HOER, if the issue remains unresolved the committee may decide to go into the formation of tripartite committee under the assistance of the officer of chief Labour Commissioner (Central) to go for work study so that the issue can be settled. After prolonged and protracted discussions and persuasion by the RLC(C), the All India Loco Running Staff Association has agreed to defer their agitation of Hunger strike.
The matter is adjourned and next date is fixed for 25.06.2010 at 11.30A.M. with the consent of both the parties.

B.B. Bhatnagar
R.L.C(C) NEW DELHI

“Trains are running as per schedule since early Wednesday,” said a railway official.

Mumbai’s electric trains carry nearly seven million people every day. Their drivers, or motormen as they are known, launched the protest Monday, seriously hitting movement of people from and to the city.

The work stoppage was called off Tuesday evening after talks with the Maharashtra government which promised to take up the drivers’ demands with the central Railway Board.

The drivers were demanding higher wages, including overtime allowances, and safety on the tracks.