Railway Board Enforces Strict Protocols for Train Track Verification

The Railway Board has reinforced protocols to ensure that only station masters authorize train track usage after verification. Due to the incorrect identification by the axle counters, station masters are responsible for manual verification. This move addresses safety concerns and accountability issues, ensuring compliance with existing safety norms and procedures.

The Railway Board has mandated that only station masters should authorize train entry onto tracks after verifying them, following concerns over incorrect wheel-sensing system readings. Technical errors with the axle counters may wrongly indicate that a track is occupied, necessitating manual confirmations by station masters to ensure safety.

Recent violations have shown station masters delegating verification tasks to signal maintainers or engineers, which breaches protocol. These deviations are said to risk unsafe train operations, with responsibility unjustly falling on signal staff. The Railway Board emphasizes adherence to codified procedures for axle counter resets and track verification.

The Indian Railways Signal and Telecom Maintainers' Union has hailed this directive, as it alleviates undue blame on signal staff for protocol breaches. Union members stress the importance of station masters not improperly delegating these critical safety responsibilities.

(With inputs from agencies.)