Railways all set to enhance its disaster management system to improve response

New Delhi: In its efforts to improve disaster management, Indian Railways is set to gradually replace locomotive-hauled Accident Relief Medical Vans (ARMVs) with Self Propelled Accident Relief Medical Vans (SPARMVs) to improve response during a disaster, said the Railways in a statement. Specification of high-speed Self Propelled Accident Relief Trains (HS-SPARTs) with speed of 160 kmph has been finalised and it is planned to be procured in addition to the existing 110 kmph SPART.

Further, to improve the capacity during restoration, 175 Tonnes cranes are under procurement which is an up-gradation over the existing 140 T cranes available with Indian Railways.

Indian Railways has an organized system of relief for managing accidents with its own resources.

It consists of more than 6 thousand trained breakdown staff, 176 Accident Relief Trains (ARTs) and 86 Accident Relief Medical Vans (ARMVs) made using passenger coaches. All Accident Relief Trains and Accident Relief Medical Vans have pre-defined beats, inspection schedules and response time.