CLW’s Kavach Tender : Does this explain the inexplicable extension?
Mr #SatishKumar has not been known as, as manipulative as, #AKKhandelwal or #JayaVarmaSinha. But power brings interesting changes, as watchers say.
During last few days we have been working on various inputs we received. One was on #Quixotic decision of endorsing a #product by #Minister himself whereby changing the way #IndianRailways holds its rails on #sleepers-which constitutes ‘Railways’ in Indian Railways. This decision would bring billions to select few while impairing not just #Safety but also #Security and we busted the arguments given by #Member Infrastructure and Minister for Railways in:
August 25, 2024: “Atleast not for Railway Safety-Logic Defying Decisions of an about-to-retire Member Infrastructure”
August 27, 2024: “Khandelwal-Sense at Work: An Expensive Fastening System from Small Vendor Base-Atleast not for Railway Safety”
Only argument which could explain this decision is someone’s greed and some’s unbridled ambition running amok. Involvement of top political echelons can not be overlooked given the extent of implication of this decision.
We bring now another story which we broke here:
The Mirage Called Kavach
Kavach is being talked about as if it is the mythical silver bullet which will solve all that ails Indian Railways.
Sadly, no matter how one wishes so, these claims are no different from snake oil salesman’s.
Spate of #accidents and desperately pinning everything on #Kavach is actually acknowledgement of #Railway leadership failure as we diagnosed in, 14 June 2023: “Why talk of Kavach is not just Meaningless it is acceptance of complete failure of IR’s top management”. We discussed that Kavach sits on existing #interlocking system as a layer. Problem of IR is that this layer is not laid and maintained with needed #technical discipline and the #vendors overwhelm the core requirement of railways. We saw this in devastating #Balasore and many others we wrote about.
Dear reader take some time and listen to then #MOBD and present #CRB & #CEO RlyBd Smt. Jaya Verma Sinha when she explained Balasore in-
Listen to her vocabulary as she explains the accident. Setting aside #professionalism she relies on inputs relayed by the Minister! Also, she tries to put things on luck etc that how Yashwantpur-HWH Express got involved. Any self respecting safety expert would avoid using this lexicon as systems are designed with these scenarios in mind-as we mentioned we don’t run trains like a gambler – 23 July 2024: “Khatauli Moment: Back to Basics for a Reset is an Imperative, Part-2”.
Ideally, this presser should have alerted the #government that there is something fundamentally wrong. Not only this, experts point out data of #locomotives taken to assess #train-speed at the time of primary and secondary impact. They say that efforts of #RDSO were thwarted by #vendors in arriving at common data extraction interface in control of IR, instead, like #signalling and other #electronic-gear, complete control is with the vendors of these equipment. This leads to IR’s inability to accurately determine the causes of mishaps. But with approach of the vendors – ‘trust me bro’ there is no use of having railway officers in between as they have no option but to stamp & sign what vendor’s proprietary equipment tell them.
This #mindless-dependence on claims of vendors led to #BMBS-scam and fiasco. On 21 Feb 2023, we also explained how false claims of vendors and technical supervision subservient to dominant vendors led to the crisis of BMBS where trains started climbing on platforms and killing people sitting in waiting room: “KMG_2.1: ..और कलई खुल गई: मंत्री जी, जब घर में आग लगी हो तो आने वाली होली की तैयारी नहीं करते! भाग-1”
At the heart of railway’s problems lies drift from basics which calls for discipline-something which system of granting extensions to Level-17 officers do not permit. With leadership on #contract, the #Chairman does not command respect of his team. Already as we pointed out that the #RailBhawan has lost its #credibility as it is seen as den of #KMG and #AIDS. Can system run just on fear, NO, system like railways run on commitment and loyalty which have been mainstays of railway’s subaltern culture which produced top leadership.
We had also warned on 17 July 2024: “मंत्री जी, सुधीर-सेंस को बिसराएँ-कम खर्च पर सेफ्टी सुनिश्चित कराएँ!” We wondered why is cheaper option not taken? One would not need #kavach or the fancy #fastening system if basic #engineering-discipline is followed.
But with #leadership-on-contract and many in Level-17 acting as #agents of dominant vendors, how can officers below them act in interest of railways?
Here now we bring a big mystery-mystery of Kavach 4.0 and mega tender by CLW
We broke a story on how #mobile-module of Kavach which has to be mounted on locomotives is being hurriedly procured, waiving off common prudence which railway procurements have routinely followed.
What is this case? 10,000 #Loco-Kavach modules have to be purchased through a #Tender floated by #CLW at the behest of #RailwayBoard. Though decision is of #Signal-directorate (#MemberInfra), the push is of Member Traction and Rolling Stock (#MTRS) who just has got eight month #extension on #contract after he retires on 31 December, 2024 to become #CRB.
Why it is troubling? Currently there are three vendors, (out of which two are listed on #stock-exchanges and the largest of the three is privately held), who are eligible for bulk orders under given eligibility criteria. Total #capacity assessed by #RDSO is about 2,300 per annum of these vendors put together. However, under the given conditions, 10,000 kavach have to be supplied in one year.
Not just that, the #version which will get implemented on Indian Railways is #Kavach-version-4.0 while the one which has been tested is #Kavach-version-3.2. The very fact that version number has changed from 3.2 to 4.0 (i.e. not to 3.3) indicates that the difference between the versions is substantial or major in nature or in other words the change would require major design change. Now how can design of loco units be frozen before safety validation of composite system which will take longer than one year in which these loco units have to be supplied?
We asked several senior #rail-experts. We got following summary on core issues:
There are major #hardware and #software changes between version 3.2 and 4.0 of Kavach. The trial were done on version 3.2. These were limited trials and had few open issues. However, as the #system is still a layer on top of existing signaling system, that is if there is Balasore type of error, then with trains running in close proximity (i.e. train separation smaller than braking distances-which incidentally are uncertain due to BMBS issues), then Kavach system is hardly of any use. This every railway officer understands.
So, Signaling engineers are not able to freeze the #specification and they came up rightly so with version 4.0 of the specification of Kavach. The extent of changes call for #revalidation by safety assessor for #SIL-4 certification. Thus from #SIL standpoint version 3.2 and version 4.0 represent two different products. So while gaming the system and claiming that the #vendor status of version 3.2 shall apply for tender on version 4.0 is misleading and dangerous. It appears that CLW objected and was overruled. Now who can over-ruled CLW?
Let us understand implications
The tender in essence is only meant for three vendors who have been approved on 3.2. Now Kavach being an integrated system, would need stationary and mobile units supplied by different vendors. Thus interoperability is of essence in Kavach. This interoperability in IR has been used as important entry barrier by dominant players against entry of new players. With weakened RDSO and Rail Bhawan with their officers compromised by these dominant players, the role of gate keeping traditionally with IR’s engineers has been effectively handed over to these dominant vendors. So no surprises how #eligibility and #procurement plans are made.
As stationary units which integrates with underlying signalling layer (which in-turn interlocks the signalling system and makes train movements inherently safe), will take longer to get validation and deliver, there is perhaps ulterior motive to exhaust and saturate market of 10,000 locomotives in just one year. This means all new vendors who will now enter the market will have to work with these vendors for integration. Going by experience of various dominant vendors (as we mentioned even in case of speedometers referred by then MOBD in Balasore accident presser), this will cost dear to the system and make entire system anti-competitive. However, given #political pressure generated, it is clear that someone has cleverly gamed the system successfully. Even if we find Kavach of no practical use in time to come, the three vendors would have got business of almost ₹6,000 crore for themselves. Further, experts say, if indeed 10,000 locomotives can be provided with loco-Kavach units in just one year, why not wait before spending ₹6,000 crore, and get system validated on version 4.0.
Let us also note the extent of change between version 3.2 and version 4.0. The original scheme picked #track occupancy data from relays as voltage signals, now will pick data on ethernet! Who in his right sense will call the design change an incremental one? Further, the philosophy per se of use of #RFIDs has been changed between version 3.2 and version 4.0.
The Scam Reiterated
Thus, BLW was ruled out of this procurement and this time it is turn of CLW to go through the pain of doing something which is outright unethical. The end of train telmetry tender by BLW and Kavach by CLW have eerie similarities. Both happened at the direct instructions of Railway Board (#MTRS), in both cases specifications were not clear, vendor base not clear, trials incomplete, require interpretation of policies by tender committees which can be easily disputed leaving involved officers with no protection.
₹6,000 crore is serious amount of money. Let vendors first get design hardware and software validated on ver 4.0. Let fraction of ₹6,000 crore be spent on basic and foundational interlocking technology and cable replacement with superior design. Mantri ji, Please exert yourself and support your officers to be bold and imaginative to get rid of signal cabling cartels.
Current tender floated by CLW at the behest of Railway Board is flawed technically, ethically and on stores procurement policy of railways. Let us understand, why is CLW pressurised to float the tender? A retired senior officer of #Mechanical department pointed out that #ECoR agreed to Piyush Goyal’s personal exhortation to try a new technology called end of train telemetry (#ETT), a technology which promises to replace the guard. ECoR did exemplary work in awarding orders to prove out the concept.
However, without completing the trials, railway board pressurised another loco unit, #BLW to float bulk orders which was resisted by the officers as they felt this was premature decision to buy product in bulk for which technology and specification is not frozen, but then when Level-17 gives written instructions, nothing can be done. BLW went ahead with tenders as instructed.
This led to #Vigilance complaints and harassment of senior officers of #stores, #finance and #technical departments. In fact it was also mentioned by a S&T officer that in case railways go on Kavach, then end of train telemetry functionality by separate unit is not required, i.e. buying this additional #equipment was infructuous expenditure to start with! But why railway board’s compromised officers were not taken up?
Conclusion
Let Level-17 of Rail Bhawan work on fundamentals instead of acting as a #HarshadMehta. Trust us Modiji, system now needs just disciplined working which railwaymen know well and nothing more. But for that please stop charade of extensions-it is outright immoral and unethical to run railways with leadership on contract. Self respecting officers need credible leadership which can inspire them to whom they can freely open up and talk about issues which are now leading to “an #accident a day”.
And you may also like to read: 18 June 2024, “रेल में हादसे–गलती मोदी जी की है!” To continue..