A survey of train disasters and safety systems in Indian railways with a focus on signalling and telecommunications

Abstract

Train is considered as one of the primary means of transport for the people across various regions in India. With a route length of around 68000 km, the Indian rail network is the fourth longest in the world and millions use its services daily. Despite having an extensive network and infrastructure, train accidents are not uncommon in India. The recent incident in Balasore district, Odisha, is the deadliest train disaster in over two decades. Nearly 295 people lost their lives and several hundred got injured in the triple train crash. This incident has brought attention to the safety measures and infrastructure of the country’s railway system. Although the Indian railway systems have seen significant development, the lack of a robust signalling system remains a major issue for such massive mishaps. This study discusses major train accidents with their causes and effects. Then, it discusses train disaster categories and the railway disaster management plan. It also provides a brief review of State-of-the-Art safety systems to prevent train accidents. Further, this study highlights the role of signalling and telecommunication systems in the safe and speedy movement of trains.