Commission of Railway Safety (CRS)

08-06-2023

Latest Context:

Recently, the government announced that investigation into the recent tragic train accident in Odisha will be conducted by the ‘Commission of Railway Safety’ for the south-eastern circle.

So, What is the Commission of Railway Safety (CRS)?

CRS is a government body that acts as the railway safety authority in the country.

It deals with matters related to safety of rail travel and operations, among some other statutory functions – inspectorial, investigatory, and advisory – as laid down in the Railways Act, 1989.
It is Headquartered in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
It is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) instead of the Ministry of Railways.
The reason behind this is to keep the CRS away from the influence of the country’s railway establishment and prevent conflict of interests.

About the History of CRS

Indian Railway Board Act, 1905:

a) As per the Indian Railway Board Act, 1905, and a notification by the then Department of Commerce and Industry, the railway board was entrusted with powers and functions of the government under various sections of the Railway Act and was also authorised to make rules for the smooth operation of railways in India.

b) This effectively made the railway board, the safety controlling authority for railways in India.

Government of India Act of 1935:

a) Section 181(3) of the Government of India Act of 1935 stated that there should be a separate authority responsible for ensuring the safety of both passengers and railway personnel. This authority will investigate accidents and determine their causes.

b) In 1939, a panel headed by the then chief inspecting officer of the British Railways, A.H.L. Mount, noted that the Railway Board was appreciative of the separation argument and “would welcome the change”.

Separation from Inspectorate:

a) In May 1941, the railway inspectorate was separated from the railway board and placed under the control of the Department of Posts and Air at that time.

b) Later in 1961, the inspectorate was renamed as CRS (Commissioner of Railway Safety), and it has been under the authority of the central ministry responsible for civil aviation in India ever since.

The recent railway incident has brought attention to the Kavach initiative, which aims to enhance railway safety in India. However, the Kavach system has not been implemented on the Odisha route.

What is Kavach?

It’s an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system aimed at enhancing safety in train operations across the vast network of Indian Railways.
Developed by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in association with three Indian vendors.
It has been adopted as our National Automatic Train Protection (ATP) System.
The Indian Railways Institute of Signal Engineering & Telecommunications (IRISET) in Secunderabad, Telangana hosts the 'Centre of Excellence' for Kavach.
IRISET is responsible for training in-service railway staff on Kavach through its dedicated Kavach lab.

About its Functionality:

The system meets Safety Integrity Level-4 (SIL-4) standards, signifying its high reliability.
Prevent trains from passing red signals and enforces speed restrictions.
Activates the braking system automatically if the driver fails to control the train.
Prevent collisions between two locomotives equipped with Kavach systems.
Relays SoS messages during emergency situations.
Offers centralised live monitoring of train movements through the Network Monitor System.
Utilises Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) for two-way communication between the station master and loco-pilot.
Of the total route length of 1.03 lakh kilometres, only 1,455 kilometres have been brought under Kavach yet.
The South Central Railway (SCR) Zone has been at the forefront of Kavach implementation.

Way Forward

Utilise big data analytics and artificial intelligence to analyse vast amounts of data collected from trains, tracks, and infrastructure. This can help identify patterns, detect anomalies, and predict potential safety risks, enabling proactive interventions.
It is crucial to fasten the implementation of the Kavach project on the Howrah-Chennai line passing through at least four railway zones.
Other railway zones should also prioritise the installation of the Kavach system to ensure enhanced safety measures across the entire route.