NEW DELHI: A quick check by railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday showed how there is a gap between what officials claim and the ground reality. At a track maintainers’ conference, he asked how many of them have got “lightweight tools” and the response was dismal.“This is wrong. There is a sharp gap between your (official) reporting and the reporting from people here. In how many months will you achieve the target of providing lightweight tools to all?… in six months, you all, across the country, will get them, and in 6-8 months you will also get gauge measuring tools,” Vaishnaw said, drawing applause from railway employees, who play a crucial role in safe train operations.The minister told track maintainers that safety of passengers and railway workforce remains govt’s prime focus and several steps have been taken to successfully reduce accidents and fatalities. Vaishnaw said railways has developed a mobile app which updates and alerts track workers about approaching trains more accurately to prevent accidents. He added that the app is being tested for more than 18 months and will be soon made available to all working on tracks.“The reliability of getting updates through the mobile phone system is much higher than the VHF-based device. Everyone working on tracks will get the app for personal safety. If you are safe, then railways is safe,” the minister said.Assuring that there will be complete modernisation of track maintenance in the next 7-8 years, Vaishnaw said soon track workers will get torque machines to replace heavy weight hammers. At present, they need to carry these heavy weight items and walk long for maintaining tracks.All India Railway Federation (AIRF), which hosted the conference to advocate for the safety and well-being of over 2.5 lakh workers, said it strives for two things — railway works safely and trackmen are taken care of.
