Being the most trafficked travel mode for Indian population, Indian Railways carries a major load of population everyday across nation. When it comes to travel, safety is the prime concern for all and new tech enabled methods are being roped in, in order to ensure the safety concerns of travellers. With recent implementation or RTIS with aid from ISRO, Railways have ensured real time tracking of trains. The recent developments in making train travel a preferred mode of travel, new technologies are being implemented to gauge the durability of bridges spanning across the river beds. Railways has adopted various modern technologies for the inspection of bridges and in 2019-20 it has sanctioned 4,168 bridges for repairing at an estimated cost of Rs 752 crore.
What’s New Technology is All About?
Various modern technologies like drone survey, 3D scanning of river beds and water level monitoring have been adopted and being used for the inspection of the bridges. During 2019-20, a total of 4,168 railway bridges are sanctioned fo repairing/ strengthening/ rehabilitation / rebuilding at an allocated fund.
The huge span of the railway bridges spreads to 1,50,746 bridges on Indian Railways network including Road Over Bridges (ROBs) and Rail Under Bridges (RUBs). Safety of bridges is accorded high priority. The ministry of Railways has confirmed in their official statement : “There is a well established system of inspection of bridges including ROBs and RUBs on Indian Railways. All the bridges are inspected twice a year, once before the onset of monsoon and one detailed inspection after the monsoon by the designated officials.
Railways to Offer FIRST Aid Assistance
Apart from this, the minister further said that a large number of passengers are rendered first aid medical assistance during the journey in the national transporter. Railway official, on the receipt of requests, 60,806 rail passengers requiring medical care were attended by railway or private doctors on payment basis during 2018-19. Railways in compliance of orders of Supreme Court and as recommended by Committee of experts constituted at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), instructions have been issued to provide a Medical Box containing life saving medicines, equipments, oxygen cylinder etc. at all railway stations and passenger carrying trains.
“Front line staff i.e. Train Ticket Examiner, Train Superintendents, Assistant Station Master etc. are trained in rendering first aid”. Railways is also running regular refresher courses for such staff and list of nearby hospitals and doctors along with their contact numbers are available at all railway stations. “Ambulance services of railways, state government or private hospitals and ambulance service providers are utilised to transport the injured or sick passengers to the hospitals or clinics.
Proper E-Catering Service Implementation
With a view to offer better travel experience, Indian Railways started e-catering services through which people traveling in trains can book food online in trains from their smartphones. The tech enabled initiative helps in tracking of orders and availing up of food services from top food chains across India.