Railways issue alert after cable break triggers signal failure, safety concerns

The railways recently sent out notices for an audit of signaling equipment across its network. File | Photo credit: The Hindu

The ongoing infrastructure development work by the Indian Railways causes frequent signal outages due to cable breaks, posing a serious threat to the safety of train operations.

Editorial | Take the Gauntlet: About Safety and Indian Railways

Amid the increasing number of snapped cables being reported on the railway network, the Ministry of Railways has issued a warning to the General Managers of all zonal railways to take proper precautionary measures during the ongoing work.

The Railways is carrying out extensive development work on mission mode, particularly implementation of safety enhancement projects, automatic block signalling, introduction of double-tracking, construction of boundary wall or fence to facilitate high-speed train operation and installation of Kavach – India’s autonomous train security system.

“Disastrous Consequences”

During the execution of these works, there were frequent reports of cable cutting/damage leading to signal outages and disruption of train operations. “Such repeated signal outages due to cable cutting/damage pose a serious threat to the safety and reliability of train services and may lead to catastrophic consequences if adequate measures are not taken,” the alert said.

The Railways said that repeated instructions have been issued from time to time to protect the existing signal and telecommunication cables along the track while carrying out development work. “However, cases of cable breakage/damage are still frequently reported.”

The railways insisted on proper coordination between the departments involved in the ongoing projects and reiterated the Standard Operating Procedure recommended to ensure the safety of the security devices.

Penalty for suppliers

Asked for his comments on the issue of cable breaks triggering signal failures, a senior railway officer said heavy fines have been imposed on contractors responsible for such damage. “The penalty amount can go up to ₹1,000 for each cut…there will be no cut/damage to the cable if the work is done exactly as per the drawing and under strict supervision of supervisory officials,” he said.

The warning comes in the backdrop of several serious accidents due to signal failure in different parts of the country, including a devastating multiple collision between the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express and two other trains at Balasore in Odisha that killed about 296 passengers and left over 900 injured.

The Railways invests more than ₹ 1 lakh annually in safety related activities. The train safety system will help the locomotive pilots to maintain the speed of the train by effective braking. “Even in low visibility conditions such as fog, locomotive pilots will not have to look for a signal outside the cab. Pilots can see the information on a dashboard installed inside the cab,” the railways said in a statement.

Published – 12 Sep 2025 22:18 IST