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Context

The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) has pointed out "glaring lapses" in the planning and execution of the new Pamban rail bridge.

Details

The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) stated that the 72-m-long lift span girder was designed using foreign codes rather than Research Designs & Standards Organisation (RDSO) standards, resulting in design and approval lapses.

The CRS stated that adequate measures had not been taken to address the bridge's corrosion issue, despite the structure being located in the corrosive environment. Some components had already started to corrode.

About the Pamban rail bridge

The Pamban Bridge is a railway bridge that connects the town of Rameswaram on Pamban Island to Mandapam in mainland India.

It was India's first sea bridge, and it remained the country's longest until the Bandra-Worli Sea Link opened in 2010.

The rail bridge is mostly a conventional bridge supported by concrete pillars, but it includes a double-leaf bascule section in the middle that can be raised to allow ships and barges to pass through.

In 2020, construction on a new bridge closer to the existing one began, to replace the existing bridge.

Rail transportation on the bridge was permanently suspended in December 2022 after the bascule section weakened significantly due to corrosion.

Train operations on the new bridge will be started soon.

About Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS)

Role

The CRS is responsible for the safety of rail travel and operations under the Railways Act of 1989.

One of its main tasks is to investigate serious train accidents and make safety recommendations to the government.

Headquarters

The CRS headquarters are in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

Report To

The CRS reports to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) instead of the Ministry of Railways or the Railway Board to avoid conflicts of interest.

How did the CRS become independent of the Ministry of Railways?

The CRS became independent after the Government of India Act of 1935, which stated that functions related to railway safety should be carried out by an authority independent of the Railway Board.

In May 1941, the Railway Inspectorate was separated from the Railway Board and transferred to the Department of Posts and Air.

In 1961, the Railway Inspectorate was renamed the Commissioner of Railway Safety and transferred to the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

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COMMISSION OF RAILWAY SAFETY (CRS)

Source:

The Hindu

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.Consider the following statements in the context of the Commission of Railway Safety (CRS):

1. The Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) is a statutory body.

2. It is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Railways.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

A) 1 only

B) 2 only

C) Both 1 and 2

D) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: A

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct:

The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) is a statutory body. It deals with issues concerning the safety of rail travel and operations, as outlined in the Railways Act 1989.

Statement 2 is incorrect:

It is administered by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) rather than the Ministry of Railways to avoid conflicts of interest.