Team of 600 plus to monitor Konkan Rail route in monsoon season

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, May 27 2019: Konkan Railway is getting all set to face the SW monsoon by putting in place adequate safety measures. About 630 personnel will be patrolling its route during the monsoon.

Patrolling as per the provisions of Indian Railway Permanent Way Manual to ensure safe running of trains. Vulnerable locations will be patrolled round-the-clock and stationary watchmen will be deployed for round-the-clock patrol at critical locations. Speed restrictions will be imposed at vulnerable locations. BRN mounted excavators have been kept ready at all nominated points for quick movement in case of emergency, it said through a press release.

Instructions have been issued to loco drivers to run trains at a reduced speed of 40 kmph in case of heavy rainfall when visibility is limited. Self-propelled accident relief medical van, with provision of operation theatre and providing emergency medical aid are kept ready at Ratnagiri and Verna (Goa) along with Accident Relief Train, the release said.

Mobile phones have been provided to all safety category staff to contact central control in emergencies. Both loco pilots and guards of trains have been provided with walkie-talkie sets. Every station has been equipped with 25 Watt VHF base station. This enables wireless communication between the train crew as well as the crew and the Station Master. Emergency communication sockets have been provided at a average distance of 1 km along the Konkan Railway route – from Kolad to Thokuru (Mangaluru) — that enables the patrolmen, watchmen, loco pilots, guards and other field maintenance staff to contact the Station Master and Train Controllers during any emergencies. Satellite phone communication has been provided in accident relief medical van for emergency contact when ARMV is ordered in service. All main signal aspects on Konkan Railway are now replaced with LED for improving signal visibility, it said.

Three control rooms at Belapur, Ratnagiri and Madgaon, will work round-the-clock during the monsoon period. The monsoon time table will come into effect from June 10, 2019, till October 31, 2019. Passengers who have been issued journey tickets prior to announcement of the Monsoon Time Table, are requested to check the timings of their trains in advance as the departure times of some will be revised. Passengers may monitor their trains online during the monsoon on www.konkanrailway.com or on the KRCL app.