New Delhi: Poor visibility in the wake of fog has disrupted normal schedules of trains which have been running late, the Railways experts said it is not new but every winter, passengers have to bear the brunt of delays or cancellations.
Experts said several advanced devices have been deployed to operate trains on schedule during the fog situation but it has yet not been improved fully as the devices don’t improve visibility during dense fog situations but only alert loco pilots about coming signals.
"This situation has not yet improved as there is no equipment or device to increase the visibility during dense fog conditions. Although the government has introduced several devices to improve the situation, the loco driver needs a clear vision to run the loco. These devices alert a driver when he/she reaches very close to the signal if the signal is not visible properly then how can a driver proceed further?" Krishan Kumar, expert and retired chief loco inspector, told ETV Bharat.
Echoing similar sentiments, Manoj Tiwari, expert and retired loco pilot, said, "Loco pilots get alert from the fog pass devices but they don't get clear aspects of the signal whether it is green, yellow or red due to poor visibility".
"In dense fog conditions, drivers have to stop trains and send assistants to check signal colour for proceeding further. Nowadays, several devices have been installed to strengthen the GPS-enabled monitoring system which will help improve the situation to some extent," Tiwari said.
Train speed is another issue of concern as a large number of them are running behind the scheduled timetable loco pilots have been instructed to maintain the speed of trains between 60 to 75 kilometres per hour or the minimum as per their discretion due to fog.
B G Mishra, an expert and loco pilot mail driver, said, "To run the train at normal speed, loco pilots need clear visibility but in the absence of any provision they have to operate the train below normal speed which leads to the delay in train operation".
Another expert and retired chief loco inspector, Krip Ram, said, "No respite seems in the near future if loco pilots run the trains with the help of safety devices and not at normal speed. These devices are just supporting the running of trains but are not fully helpful things to run at normal speed".
The railways is providing fog safety devices to loco pilots for use in engines which will help them during fog conditons to navigate trains. It has already made provisions for 19,742 Fog Pass Devices to ensure smooth train operations during fog. The device has a GPS-based navigation system that helps the loco pilot with onboard real-time information (display as well as voice guidance) for locating fixed landmarks such as signals, level crossing gates, permanent speed restrictions and neutral sections, the railways ministry said earlier this year.
Several trains which are usually delayed due to low passenger load or fog are being reviewed so that these trains can be cancelled for a certain period.
It has been observed in past years that during the winter season, several parts of the country face dense fog conditions which lead to significant disruptions in train and flight services. Running a train at normal speed during dense fog is also risky for passengers following which commuters had to face delays in train services up to 8 to 10 hours. This year too, passengers have been facing similar inconveniences.
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