The Western Railway on Thursday forwarded its request of raising platform heights on its suburban railway stations to the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) – western circle.
The WR request to CRS Padam Singh Baghel is to allow the former to raise the height of its platforms to a maximum of 920mm from the current high of 840mm. The thinking among WR officials is that the railway ministry would be far more agreeable to the proposal if it comes with the approval of the CRS, the apex authority related to safety on the railways.
Speaking to DNA, Shailendra Kumar, DRM, WR confirmed the development and said the process to get the CRS approval for the height raising request was under process.
As reported first by DNA in its December 6 edition, the new rakes both of Siemens and the newer Bombardier makes leave a far higher gap between the platform and the floor of the train that what the railway rules pertaining to safety stipulate. WR which currently uses 82 rakes to run its daily services has 65 Siemens rakes and by the middle of March it would be commissioning the first of the two Bombardier rakes currently undergoing trials.
The railway rules say that the height of the platform should be anything between 760mm to 840mm from the top of the rails. Under these rules of safety, the maximum gap between the platform and the floor of the train should be between 342mm and 437 mm.
However, railway engineers have found that the Siemens rakes have a floor height of almost 1220 mm whereas the ideal, as per railway rules, should be around 1187mm to 1197mm from the top of the rails. The newer Bombardier rake currently stabled at Virar carshed is a touch worse with a floor at a height of 1230 mm from the top of the railways.
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