Trains Will Soon Have ‘Third Eye’ To See Through Foggy Air And Detect Cracks On Tracks

Updated on: 24 December 2017 1:13 pm

Railways is soon going to use a device that will allow trains to travel at a speed of 100 km/hr even in foggy weather when visibility is extremely low.

Named as 'Trinetra', the device detects any object on tracks up to a distance of 2 km by using infra-red and laser rays. The information is displayed on the screen fitted inside the locomotive, reported India Today.

Trials of 'Trinetra' (third eye) have been completed and authorities have got the permission for installing the device in passenger trains. The device has been devised by the mechanical wing of the Railways.

According to railway officials, the device can also detect minor damage or crack in the tracks which can avert rail accidents. Even small objects on the track can be detected at least 500 metres in advance.

In India, safety remains a major concern for the Indian Railways. In 2015-16, 60% of the train accidents were caused due to derailments followed by accidents at level crossings (33%).

Between 2003-04 and 2015-16, the second highest reason for casualties were derailments. Taking stock of the situation, Standing Committee on Railways had noted that one of the reasons for derailments is defect in the track or rolling stock.

While the number of accidents has gone down over the years, the death toll has increased. In 2016-17, India’s death toll from train derailments is now the highest in 10 years, according to an IndiaSpend analysis of data.

In 2016-17, 193 people were killed, the year which witnessed the fewest train accidents over 10 years (104) ending March 2017. Out of them, 78 accidents were due to derailments.

The data was tabled in the upper house of parliament, the Rajya Sabha, on March 31, 2017 and August 11, 2017.

The government can be partially held accountable for the tragedies as it has ignored the Standing Committee recommendation that Indian Railways should switch completely to the Linke Hoffman Busch (LHB) as they don't pile up on each other during derailments.

Also, while 4,500 km track length should be renewed annually, out of the total length of 1,14,907 km in the country, only 2,700 km of track length was targeted to be renewed in 2015-16.