Snapshot
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Inflatable slides would not only speed up evacuation but also help prevent mishaps.
The Railway Board has also backed the use of a black-box-style voice and video storage device in the Vande Bharat trains that is water- and fire-resistant.
The new Vande Bharat (VB) trains may feature emergency evacuation slides similar to those found on aeroplanes soon.
The Railway Board instructed the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in this regard.
RDSO is the sole research and development organisation under the Ministry of Railways. It functions as the technical adviser to Railway Board Zonal Railways and production units.
Evacuation slides are solutions that the Railway Board is actively considering, and if implemented, it would be a first of its kind within the Indian Railways network.
Emergency passenger evacuation usually takes place through coach doors since using steps to go to the bottom level is inconvenient. Using emergency stairs could cause a delay and put passengers at risk of injury.
Inflatable slides, on the other hand, would not only speed up evacuation but also help prevent mishaps.
The Railway Board has also backed the use of a black-box-style voice and video storage device in the Vande Bharat trains that is water- and fire-resistant. Black-box recordings aid in determining how an accident occurred.
In VB trains, up to 10 hours of security camera footage can currently be captured, along with 10 minutes of the driver and guard conversation and 10 minutes of cabin view.
Efforts are being made to extend the storage time for driver-guard conversations and cabin views to an hour, according to officials with knowledge of the Rail Board’s directive, reports Economic Times.
The board has also advocated for the removal of every level crossing along the routes that these trains travel.
Additionally, it has sought the identification of certain areas along the VB train routes where trespassing frequently takes place, and the implementation of preventative measures.
While the first Vande Bharat train was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and pressed into service for Varanasi from the capital, the second rake is operational between New Delhi-Katra.
The third Vande Bharat with improved amenities is currently running on the Mumbai-Gandhinagar sector.
The fourth Vande Bharat runs between Una, Chandigarh and New Delhi.
According to the railways, Vande Bharat Express trains would be soon rolled out in all parts of the country.
Prime Minister Modi had set a target to make 75 Vande Bharat trains on the 75th anniversary of India’s independence. Keeping up with the Prime Minister’s vision, 75 Vande Bharat trains would be manufactured and rolled across the nation before 15 August 2023.
The railways is going ahead with the setting up eight maintenance depots for Vande Bharat trains across the country including Sabarmati and Shakur Basti at an estimated cost of Rs 250 crore.