News
Indian train safety concerns mount
An expert commissioned to look into allegedly fatal faults in trains imported from India said some trains lacked the kind of crash-resistant frames considered essential for safety in most vehicles, even cars.
The Railway Department is preparing a report on allegations of reported shortcomings in Indian train engines and compartments with unions claiming the defects have cost lives.
The General Manger of the Railways Department, Vijaya Amaratunga, said he has called for reports from all relevant sections following complaints from trade unions that the Indian S-11 and M-10 engines were defective.
The Locomotive Operating Engineers Union said it would take action if the department brought in any more trains manufactured in India under the credit lines offered by that country because Sri Lankan authorities failed to check product quality.
The union’s General Secretary K.A.U. Konthesingha claimed the S-11’s power sets and the M-10 locomotive engines imported from India in 2010 posed a risk to engine drivers.
He said despite the Indian manufacturer’s claims that the lightweight fibreglass head of the train would protect the lives of engine drivers the front area of the S-11 gave away even on impact with a branch of a tree fallen across the track.
“Two of our engine drivers were killed in Allawa in an accident while in a separate accident in Pothuhera the driver and his assistant moved into the maintenance part of the engine and escaped,” Mr. Konthesingha said.
In some cases, drivers had to tie a train’s headlights onto the engine with straps and rope to keep them in place, Mr. Konthasingha added.
Mr. Konthesingha pointed out that out of 20 S-11 power sets, 12 had faulty generators, traction motors and other technical malfunctions. There were also problems with rivets, knobs, windscreens, windscreen wipers and headlights.
Professor R.G.N. De. S Munasinghe at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at University of Moratuwa was called on to examine the quality of materials used in S-11 Indian power sets after the Alawwa train accident.
He said that during his inspections he found a major flaw in the design of the nose cone (front of the train), which is the impact point of the train. It lacked a crash mechanism, he said.
“I am not degrading or attacking Sri Lankan Railways or Indian products but most vehicles, even motor cars, have a metal frame to resist the impact of an accident by absorbing the impact energy.
It is rather ignorant to design a train without an impact-resistant frame,” he said.
He said another safety flaw was in the direct coupling system of the compartments which gave more passenger comfort but at the same time could make the whole train topple over and derail.
Prof. Munasinghe said the train’s windscreen was made of plastic which could deform due to heavy sunlight.
The trains had poor headlight holders, made of low-quality material. In some places the bodies were corroded, especially at points where welding work had been done.
Every M-10 locomotive engine emitted smoke into the driver’s cabin released fuel gases and had faulty brake systems, All-Island Ceylon Railway Employees General Union’s General Secretary S.P. Vithanage said.
He said while the air brake system had safety guards the vacuum brakes lacked safety guards.
Mr. Vithanage said while his union was not opposed to buying trains for India in principle the department had bought trains with serious defects that were frequently in the Ratmalana and Dematogoda trainyards for repairs.
An official at a railway repair station admitted that Indian power-set coaches and M-10 locomotives were regularly in for repairs. He said S-11 coaches corroded quickly and had problems in generators, traction motors and electrical and mechanical units.
The Indian company that supplied the engines, RITES Ltd, defended the integrity of the M-10 locomotives and S-11 train sets.
The company told the Sunday Times that the locomotives and train sets were “supplied in accordance with the agreed specifications” and the specifications were a part of the contract that was awarded by Sri Lanka Railways.
“The specifications had the approval of the Railway,” it said.
Regarding the S-11 train sets, the company said “the power cars have been provided with a fibreglass nose compartment which is having adequate strength to absorb the energy in case of an impact due to accident.
All necessary tests had been conducted before fitting the fibre noses on the power cars. They have been performing satisfactorily for the last more than four years.
“The windscreens in the driver’s cab were provided with polycarbonate material, which is a standard alternative material for glass and is tougher than glass.
However when the drivers complained about problem in visibility, all the windscreens were replaced with glass by RITES engineers,” it said.
Regarding the M-10 locomotives, RITES said “the air brakes provided in the locomotives have absolutely no problem. The same brakes are being used in the locomotives in India for many years.
The brake equipment in the locos has been supplied by one of the leading manufacturers in the world.”
The company said whenever a diesel engine is accelerated from one level to another there was an emission of black smoke which lasted for some seconds.
It should also be understood, RITES said, that the turbocharger started functioning only from the fourth notch level and if a locomotive was running most of the time below this level, at low speed, because of a small trailing load, there would be emissions of black smoke.
In any case, the performance capacity of the locomotive was hardly impaired, the company argued.
It confirmed there was a guarantee of two years for mechanical parts and five years for electrical parts for locomotives.
The company conceded that there had been problems with knobs and door handles but said it must be appreciated that these items are in constant use by the travelling public and can become defective in the course of time.
“It does not need rocket science to understand that stainless steel is the best steel to counter corrosion. However there have been reports about corrosion happening at joints of dissimilar metals.
Though the corrosion is severe because of the extremely saline atmospheric conditions prevailing in the coastal areas, there is need to take special measures to prevent it,” the company said.
The company said it was important to understand that rolling stock like locomotives and diesel units require regular and intensive maintenance.
The manufacturer prescribed maintenance schedules at fixed intervals that need to be adhered to meticulously in accordance with the maintenance manuals in order to keep the stock in good running condition.
“For this to happen it is equally essential that spare parts required for the preventive maintenance schedules be available at the right time.
“Furthermore in view of the fact that environmental conditions in coastal areas lead to higher rate of corrosion, it is necessary that the frequency of the preventive maintenance schedules be increased by reducing the time intervals between the maintenance interventions so that a closer watch can be kept on the condition of the stock.
This will of course be in the interest of the Sri Lanka Railways as it will prolong the useful life of the stock,” RITES said.