Rly signalling, communication to be upgraded

New Delhi, Feb 24 (UNI) The Railway budget for 2006-07 presented in the Lok Sabha today spells out various measures to enhance safety, including adoption of the latest technology in signalling and telecommunication and renovation of old tracks and bridges.

The work on renovation and track circuiting on all stations on A, B and C routes will almost be completed by March 2007, after which light rails on golden quadrilateral will be replaced by heavy rails.

The remaining work will be completed by March 2008 under the Special Railway Safety Fund. The renewal of assets becoming due after 2001 is being sanctioned on a concurrent basis, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad said.

Sufficient funds were also being made under the Depreciation reserve Fund to ensure that no safety-related work suffered for lack of funds.

The Minister said the number of rail accidents had come down from 473 in 2001 to 234 at present.

He said it has also been decided to use modern signalling and telecommunication means for improving safety and enhancing line capacity on trunk and main routes.

A multidisciplinary team will be constituted for an indepth study of various advanced signalling and telecomunication alternatives.

The team will submit its report within three months.

The Minister said security of passengers was also being given special attention. The railway protection Force(RPF) was deploying escort parties for about 1000 passenger trains daily. And for women passengers, special squads were being deployed in compartments reserved for women.

Besides, the modernisation of the RPF was being given special attention, he said.

UNI NAZ RP ND1422