Railway Safety Commission flags invalid brake certificates in 14 accidents

It matters to citizens as it documents systemic safety failures, such as the derailment of freight trains due to invalid brake power certificates and door mechanism issues, and the regulatory responses to prevent future incidents.

Who it concerns: The document concerns the Commission of Railway Safety (Ministry of Civil Aviation), Indian Railways (specifically East Coast Railway, South East Central Railway, and other zones), and the general public affected by railway safety standards and accident investigations.

What the inquiry found

• The Commission of Railway Safety classified the cause of the 21.11.2022 derailment of Goods Train No. E-NBOX(E)/CAP at Korai Station as a 'Systemic Failure of Indian Railways in ensuring safe operation of freight trains of BOXN wagons'.
• The specific mechanism of the accident involved a vertically hanging door on the 14th wagon that snapped after hitting a platform edge and entangled with the wheel of the 19th wagon, causing derailment.
• The report found that a large number of empty BOXN rakes with invalid Brake Power Certificates (BPC) were being loaded without undergoing required TXR examination.
• It was found that Zonal Railways had diluted Railway Board instructions by framing local rules to facilitate loading rakes with invalid BPC.
• The report noted that closing and locking mechanisms for wagon doors were largely non-functional, with doors often closed only with Gl wires.
• Railways issued joint instructions on 09.06.23 to all Zonal Railways to strictly control the running of freight trains with invalid BPC, prohibiting loading after expiry of permissible days or kilometers.
• Railways stated that instructions for modifying BOXN wagon doors (blocking two doors in 100% of the fleet and reducing door height) have been issued to Zonal Railways and compliance is being monitored.

Also in the document

• The document lists 14 specific railway accidents and incidents from 2022 to 2024, including derailments, rear collisions, and fire incidents, for which statutory inquiry reports were conducted.
• The report highlights a gap between the capacity for rake-examination and the number of rakes with invalid BPC arising.
• It notes that the system of levying damage charges to siding owners for wagon damage is not serving its purpose, as doors are frequently damaged at loading/unloading points.