ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways (PR) is working on overhauling of all of its manned and unmanned crossings to stop train collisions and incidents of killings of passengers and pedestrians.
According to official sources, a timeline is put in place for overhauling of all manned and unmanned level crossings.
Realizing the gravity of the situation at railway crossings, the authorities are now regularly conducting training and refresher courses at the Pakistan Railways Academy, Walton so that its staff is more prepared to stop incidents.
Special attention is being given to the training of the locomotive crew, guards, station master and other concerned staff related to train operations.
Most vulnerable unmanned level crossings have jointly been surveyed and identified and proposals are being implemented for upgradation of crossings, with the cooperation of the provincial governments.
Instructions have been issued to all operating divisions for introduction of LED based lights in tail lamps.
Railways staff undertakes regular inspections in accordance with prescribed standards to maintain safety.
This process is being constantly monitored at appropriate levels. Special bulletins and instructions are issued regularly for guidance of staff.
Railways has held inquiries into accidents, fixed responsibility and took prompt remedial measures on the basis of the findings.
Special attention is being paid to the roads passing through the crossings, clearance of check rails, maintenance, cross level track and clearance of visibility zones.
Warning signs in Urdu vernacular have already been erected which are clearly visible from both sides of unmanned and manned level crossings.
The ministry has also recommended enhancement of punishment to road vehicle drivers and trespassers for ignoring safety at railway crossings.
Another step is conversion of old age kerosene oil based signal LEDs on mainline.
According to available data, during the period from January 2013 to December 2016 a total of 338 minor and major accidents have occurred across the Railway network.
Out of which 149 are major accidents and 189 fall in category of minor accidents.
According to details, there were six incidents of collision of trains from 2013 to 2016, 87 derailment of trains, 58 incidents of collision at manned level crossings and 187 incidents of collision at unmanned level crossings.
While 118 persons lost lives in these incidents in four years. Fourteen people met death in 2013, 14 people got killed in 2014, 44 lost lives in 2015 and 46 persons were killed in 2016.
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