Fog slows down trains to 8kmph

Ashutosh In a move aimed at safe operation of trains in fog situation, the Union railway ministry has issued directives to the locomotive pilots not to exceed the speed of 8 km per hour (kmph), while plying in an automatic section. A total of 36 trains to and from Delhi on Tuesday were running late by two to 36 hours. And 19 trains had to be rescheduled, nine were cancelled.

A railway ministry official said, “Speed restrictions have been imposed to ensure safety. In an automatic signalling section, wherein more than one train can enter the section at one go, the loco pilots will have to restrict speed at 8 km an hour.” The official explained that even when a pilot is running on time, he will have to follow the speed limit  once the train hits a fog area. The rule applies to Rajdhanis, Shatabdis and Durontos as well.

Automatic signalling is prevalent in the northern railway zone and essentially allows more than one train to enter a particular section at the same time - a practice initiated to handle traffic pressure.

While the traditional signalling system allows a train to enter a section only when the earlier train leaves the section.