To ensure passenger safety during foggy conditions, the North Eastern Railway (NER) has implemented revised speed limits for its trains. While the standard maximum speed on the route is 110 km per hour, trains will now be restricted to a maximum speed of 75 km per hour during fog. Trains not equipped with a Fog Safe Device will be further restricted to a maximum speed of 60 km per hour.
According to Chief Public Relations Officer Pankaj Kumar Singh, the railway has installed a total of 980 GPS-based Fog Safe Devices to maintain safe and relatively faster operations.
These devices have been distributed across the three divisions, with 315 provided to the Lucknow division, 250 to the Izzatnagar division, and 415 to the Varanasi division. Currently, these devices are being utilised in all passenger and goods trains across all rail sections of the NER.
The introduction of this modern technology has significantly improved operational efficiency. Prior to the use of these devices, the maximum permissible speed during fog was capped at 60 km per hour; however, the device has allowed this limit to be raised to 75 km per hour. Consequently, the need to deploy manual fog signalmen has been eliminated. The device functions by alerting loco pilots 500 metres before a signal through both an audible warning and a visual display of the upcoming signal on a video screen.
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In addition to technological upgrades, the railway has intensified manual safety protocols. All loco pilots and assistant loco pilots have been counselled on the specific precautions required for operating under absolute and automatic block systems during low visibility. Furthermore, regular patrolling is being conducted to monitor the tracks and ensure comprehensive safety.