Economic Survey 2023-24 highlights on Railway Safety and Signalling

Source- This post on the Economic Survey 2023-24 highlights on Railway Safety and Signalling has been created based on the article “Economic Survey indicates limited progress on safety-related works in railways” published in “The Hindu” on 22 July 2024.

Key Points from Economic Survey 2023-24 on Railway Safety and Signalling:

1. The Economic Survey 2023-24 emphasis on the slow deployment of the automatic train protection system, Kavach, and the upgrade of signaling systems.

2. Deployment of Kavach: Kavach is an automatic train protection (ATP) system which is deployed on 1,465 route km in the South-Central Railway. This accounts for only 2.14% of India’s total railway network (68,426 route km) and 7,349 railway stations.

3. Mechanical to Electronic Signalling: Out of 17 operational railway zones in India, eight zones have transitioned from mechanical to electronic signalling.

4. By FY23, 2,981 stations (40% of 7,325 stations) had switched to electronic interlocking systems. In FY24, an additional 443 stations made the switch, increasing the total to 46% of stations with electronic interlocking.

5. Electronic Interlocking (EI) Systems: EI systems were introduced in India 12 years ago and have been implemented at 3,424 stations by March 31, 2024.

6. Automatic Block Signaling (ABS): ABS is a low-cost signaling solution that has been provided on 582 route km during FY24. As of March 31, 2024, ABS covers 4,431 route km, comprising 6.47% of the Indian Railways network.

7. Capital Expenditure (Capex) Deployment: Capex deployment in railways has increased by 77% over the past five years, amounting to ₹2.62 lakh crore in FY24. Significant investments were made in the construction of new lines, gauge conversion, and doubling of tracks.

UPSC Syllabus: Indian Economy