OREANDA-NEWS. November 25, 2011. Indian Railways has an established system of emergency response system which consist of a network of Accident Relief Trains (ARTs) and Accident Relief Medical Vans (ARMVs) placed at identified locations which include most of the important Railway stations and covers the entire rail network of Indian Railways. The ARMVs and ARTs are equipped with rescue and relief equipments required to be used at the accident site. On receiving information of an accident, ARMVs and ARTs are dispatched to the accident site alongwith the personnel trained in rescue and relief operations. ARMVs and ARTs are given precedence over all other trains while proceeding to the site of the accident. Many a time Railway doctors, paramedics and other officials reach the accident site by road depending upon accessibility of the site by road.

Safety is accorded the highest priority by Indian Railways and all possible steps are undertaken on a continual basis to prevent accidents and to enhance safety. These include timely replacement of over-aged assets, adoption of suitable technologies for upgradation and maintenance of track, rolling stock, signalling and interlocking systems, safety drives, greater emphasis on training of officials and inspections at regular intervals to monitor and educate staff for observance of safe practices. Safety devices/systems being introduced to prevent accidents include provision of Anti Collision Device (ACD)/Train collision Avoidance System (TCAS), Train Protection and Warning System (TPWS), Block Proving Axle Counters (BPAC), Auxiliary Warning System (AWS), and Vigilance control Device (VCD), etc.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Bharatsinh Solanki in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.