Brain Fog of Railway Board, Part-2
There is no escape from having competent leadership which can tackle difficult problems without fear
#Editorial Comment: कई जोनल रेलों और मंडलों में पंक्चुअलिटी (समय पालन) में भारी गिरावट आई है। चक्रधरपुर जैसे मैंडलों के बारे में #LateDivisionCKP जैस सोशल मीडिया ट्रेंड भी हुए और हमने भी उस पर कड़ी प्रतिक्रिया दी। लेकिन हमें डीआरएम पद पर और महाप्रबंधक पद पर रह चुके कई वरिष्ठ अधिकारियों के बराबर मैसेज आए—कि स्थिति का सही आंकलन नहीं हो रहा—चक्रधरपुर डिवीजन को कमाना भी है, अमृत भारत स्टेशन भी बनाने हैं, ट्रांसफर और पोस्टिंग की शतरंज हेडक्वार्टर में सजी है, तो #DRM को कितना कोसा जाए? आसनसोल के मशहूर डिरेलमेंट—जिसने डीआरएम को अपदस्थ कर दिया—उस सेक्शन में कई सालों से आवश्यक मेंटेनेंस नहीं हुई थी। हमें भी लगा कि दूसरे पहलू को भी पाठकों के सामने रखा जाए। उनके फीडबैक को हमने AI की मदद से कम्पाइल किया है, ताकि स्टाइल और प्रवाह एक सा हो सके!
Read With, “Brain Fog of Railway Board, Part-1”
Should Divisions be blamed for poor punctuality?
Theoretically yes, but practically the answer is big NO.
Like any machine, a railway network requires #maintenance. Just as a car or scooter needs regular servicing to attend replacement of tyres, repairing occasional puncture, cleaning filters, a railway network needs its #track, #signalling gear and overhead electric equipment (#OHE) checked and adjusted as they wear out with use and parameters change with change of seasons. This includes daily maintenance and patrolling of track, signalling and OHE for safety.
Passenger trains run according to Working Time Tables (#WTT) which include slots for maintenance. These slots are called Corridors for Blocks, allowing train movement to be stopped and maintenance carried out. There has been significant improvements in yard and mainline track safety. This has been achieved using higher strength rail, specifically 60 kg rails, and through need-based maintenance rather than periodic maintenance. This is assessed using periodic on-board monitoring equipment and track recording cars. Maintenance has now shifted to heavy machinery.
“#Ep187: किस बात का अहंकार है ट्रैफिक कैडर को?“
However, this has also meant that track machines need their own camping coaches and dedicated sidings. This allows them to be drawn out quickly and spend more time working within a block.
This all looks good so far. However, the twist is that these identified blocks aren’t just for maintenance; they’re the only slots available for goods trains that generate revenue for the railways. Consequently, there’s a daily clash between the need to run freight trains carrying coal and ore for industry and fertilisers for farmers and the need to maintain the tracks and other fixed assets.
This often leads to divisions being torn between HQ instructions and divisional needs. Another often overlooked fact is that each zonal and divisional border serves as a checkpoint. The Zonal interchange targets are set by the Railway Board during multiple daily conferences. These targets are largely driven by departmental agendas focused on increasing freight train operations, directly clashing with the need for maintenance.
This was seen in last CRB’s safety conference when newly appointed Member Infrastructure stressed to not overlook periodic maintenance of points and crossings which are behind most of the accidents. The targets he mentioned sent shock waves as that was just not possible in given operating environment. Everyone agreed that what he said was cent-percent true—when government has already invested in machines for this safety work, why not use them?
Read the X-Thread-
Divisions are torn between need to keep lines open for traffic and to close them for maintenance. Engineering department has only these months available to them before monsoon hits. Specialised maintenance of some assets need both lines to be shut down. Now who will take this call? Perhaps another #Balasore is needed to wake IR bosses out of slumber.
Furthermore, major construction activities are underway across all Zonal Railways, directly impacting even coaching corridors. When a coaching train veers off its planned path, it creates a ripple effect throughout its journey. No one, perhaps within the Railway Board or Zonal Leadership, seems willing to address this issue. Bosses often resort to exasperated cries like, “I don’t know, get it done” or “I don’t know how you do it, get this done” when faced with conflicting demands and mounting social media criticism. This situation is leading to #shortcuts and a reliance on luck making system inherently unsafe.
The tweet showing crowd in Patna Jn.
While government faces daily criticism of lack of services, vacant Vande Bharats, over crowded regular trains, poor rolling stock planning is starkly exposed. Investment in metro grade acceleration capable Electric Multiple Units (#EMU) stock is now biting politically.
Finally chicken have come to roost. Without acknowledgement of facts on the ground, top leadership focused on their completion of tenure without raising difficult questions—which will finally bring these on the door step of political leadership. There is no escape from having competent leadership which can tackle difficult problems without fear. Contd.