Winter nights are dangerous for rail tracks. Most of rail fractures occur at night especially between 2 am and 6 am said sources. Indian Railways step up its rail track patrolling from 10 pm to 6 am. The rail track patrolling is done on foot.
Railway traffic inspector East Central Railway Dhanbad division A K Sinha said that fog, mist and dew are the worst enemy of the rail tracks as these cause massive fluctuation in the atmospheric temperature which leads to fractures of rail tracks.
Asked if the railways ever try to find out the quality of rail track which gets so fractured Sinha said ‘ Every fractured rail is sent for test for its quality. The pieces of fractured rail are sent for test either in BHEl or SAIl. It is a must.’
Sources said Indian Railways are yet to come out with all weather and all season rail tracks. In summer the same rail track that gets fractured in winter swells and over jumps due to elongation of rail tracks because of intense heat between 12 noon to four o clock in the evening. Railways use thermometer to gauge the temperature of the rail tracks.
Two fractures of rail track have been officially reported in the first 15 days of November. These fractures are in Garhwa Road Station area. Sources said as these fractures took place in the periphery of the Garhwa Road Station its repair was done in time since the station master of this railway station knew about the fractures immediately.
Sinha confirmed these two fractures on the Dn lines in Garhwa Road Station in the first half of November and said since it occurred in the circuited area the SM of the Garhwa Road station just knew about it and took appropriate measures for its repair or replacement. He said these fractures were just six inches in length and hence posed no danger but if the fractures are big then immediate corrective measures are to be taken.
On being asked if these fractures caused detention of trains passengers/goods both Sinha said ‘ This particular railway station has 7 lines and hence there was no disruption of any rail traffic’.
Sources said the Kanpur tragedy has alarmed every one in winter as days of fog mist and heavy dews are just coming in and trains are to run late inevitably. A fracture rail is never put to use but is replaced said sources.