It’s expected the fencing will allow Vande Bharat trains to run at up to 160 kilometres per hour (kmph) on these routes.
“Cattle runover (CRO) incidents on routes where the new fencing is being deployed have come down significantly,” a top railway ministry official told ET.
Metal beam fencing along 357 kilometres (km) of the 622 km Ahmedabad-Mumbai route was started in January and last year. Fencing of the entire stretch is expected to cost ₹245 crore and will be finished soon.
According to official data, there were 194 CROs between Ahmedabad and Mumbai in the current fiscal year compared with 438 in FY23. The Ahmedabad-Palanpur section of this route (in Gujarat) is most prone to such incidents.
“Fencing on this route is almost complete except in two-three isolated locations. The entire route will be fenced by February 2024,” a second official said.Besides this portion, the Railway Board has noted that effective fencing is important for all routes where trains move at a speed of 110 kmph and above. Sections along routes where the speed of trains hit 110-130 kmph are to be fenced in the next three years. Routes where the train speed of trains crosses 130 kmph are to be fully fenced.
Electric and diesel locomotives are provided with cattle guards which protect the equipment from damage in such accidents. But unlike conventional trains, the Vande Bharat ones have replaceable nose cones. While there is no damage to the operational part of the trains during CRO incidents, the optics are concerning since the cone gets bloodied, crumbles on impact, and needs to be frequently changed.
Despite the efforts, less than 10% of the total Indian Railways network has been fenced till date. But the pace has picked up from 2020 with over 2,800 km fenced since.
