Recent accidents within the national territory prompted increased concerns regarding the safety of the railway system last year. In a bid to improve safety, several premium trains, such as the Vande Bharat Express and Gatiman Express, on Indian Railways have reduced speeds from 160 kph to 130 kph on specific routes.

Gatiman Express
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

The proposed speed decrease would improve safety, particularly in areas with operational issues at the Train Protection and Warning System (TPWS), as shown by recent events. The decision aligns with Northern Railway's November 2023 suggestion to either reduce speeds to 130 km/hr or remove TPWS from service due to maintenance difficulties.

Gatiman Express Among Trains Facing Speed Reduction

As reported by The Hindu, the North Central Railway has officially asked the Railway Board to reduce the speeds of certain trains. These include the Delhi-Jhansi-Delhi Gatimaan Express (Train No. 12050/12049), the Delhi-Khajuraho-Delhi Vande Bharat Express (Train No. 22470/22469), the Delhi-Rani Kamlapati-Delhi Vande Bharat Express (Train No. 20172/20171), and the Delhi-Rani Kamalapati-Delhi Shatabdi Express (Train No. 12002/12001).

Satyaki Raghunath, an important contributor to the Vande Bharat Express project, expressed worry at the choice to decrease train speeds from 160 kph to 130 kph, suggesting that it might not make train travel safer. He pointed out that the recent accidents have occurred on slower-moving trains, like the one involving the Kanchanjunga Express in West Bengal, where he hails from. That is why he doubts how effective a reduction in speeds will be in curbing such cases.

Additionally, there are doubts about whether the railway infrastructure can safely support higher speeds. For twenty years, there has been advanced rolling stock that could achieve 160 km/h, but track restrictions have prevented its full utilisation while the debate continues in India about how best to make the railways a safer place for passengers while still promoting operational efficiency in an expansive network.

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