Emergency lights in trains are mandatory as well
The administration has got serious on safety of rail passengers. Kapurthala has developed five coaches using fire-retardant materials and roof-mounted air conditioning package units with reverse cycle feature for heating arrangements besides automatic smoke detection. As per reports, improved materials have been used for electrical fittings and fixtures such as MCB (Miniature Circuit Breaker), light fittings, terminal boards, connectors.
Fire-retardant material is being used in coach furnishing, while fire extinguishers are now installed in rail coaches for passenger safety. The RCF is the first unit in the Indian Railways to have manufactured a roof-mounted AC unit in 1992. Roof-mounted package units maintain temperature and humidity to the comfort level inside the air-conditioned coaches.
Though, India’s rail network is in expansion mode. But notwithstanding the euphoria of upgradation with Vande Bharat adding on, we suffered a setback and witnessed one of the ghastliest train accidents in decades which left 288 passengers dead and over 900 injured in Odisha.
Rail safety was back in discussion but there is a strong possibility that the accident was a case of sabotage and is under investigation. But just as we ensure safety by installing emergency lights, fire extinguishers, sprinklers and photoluminescent signages in homes, shops, malls, hospitals, business institutions and all kinds of enclosed spaces, even trains are equipped with emergency lights mandatorily today.
For example, consider Fig.1, Prolite’s Ceiling Mounted Emergency Escape Lights are designed to illuminate passageways comprehensively taking up minimum space and consuming comparatively less power than the conventional varieties of emergency lights or CFL lights. These lights can be of 1 watt and upto 3 Watt capacity lights which are useful in railways, containers or any outdoor commercial establishment. Non photoluminescent signages will disappear when darkness falls but with the support of these emergency lights, people will be able to see and read the signs even in pitch darkness.
In Fig.2, is the Bulkhead Emergency Light which allows for bright light to cascade into any setting, a condition essential for many industrial sites of both the past and the present. Their durability made them ideal choices for outdoor fittings, within the confines of railways or even within commercial buildings.
Their functionality and durability make them particularly useful within railways while their robust design makes them seamlessly blend into the look of any respective environment. Their design ensures they are tough, withstanding the attacks of dust and water, whilst their ability to provide a vast amount of light make them useful features on the indoor or outdoor walls as a valuable security measure.
The government has planned to run 75 Vande Bharat trains by August 2023. To complete PM Narendra Modi’s vision, the government is committed to re-develop railway stations too. Currently, only two Vande Bharat Expresses are operational in India from New Delhi to Varanasi and New Delhi to Katra.
During extreme emergencies such as derailment, collisions, or other the power is likely to fail and put the interiors in pitch darkness in the critical moments. Emergency Light Units then come on to facilitate immediate rescue during such emergencies. It is vital to provide illumination during failure of all other power supplies inside the coach. Vande Bharat trains also have four emergency lights in every coach in case of electric failure.
The culture of safety is welcome in any environment. Be it stagnant as in enclosed spaces or moving as in these coaches, safety is imperative and non-negotiable. That is why the NBC has issued strict guidelines on safety related issues to be observed by builders, developers, planners and architects right from the planning stage till the said construction is erect and active.
[Courtesy: Prolite]
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