According to Danapur DRM B D Garg, the railways have stored ashes, boulder and other required materials at all vulnerable places under the division. In any emergency, these stored materials will be used to keep tracks and bridges, particularly small ones, free from waterlogging. Besides, these safety measures will avert any mishap on tracks and bridges, he said.

The DRM said the vulnerable places are those where rain water overtops the tracks during heavy rain. Monsoon safety staff keep close watch on them. The monsoon safety is also a comprehensive plan to create awareness among the staff of the Danapur division, he said, adding the railways have started safety counselling especially for those staff that directly monitor train movements, including loco pilots and guards.

Garg maintained that safety of passengers has been the top priority of the railways. Safety-related staff has been imparted special training to deal with any emergency during monsoon. Keeping in mind safety of bridges, the railways have introduced track patrolling, particularly at major bridges like Koelwar, Kiul and Mokama. Small bridges, which have been identified as vulnerable on Bakhtiarpur-Rajgir, Patna-Gaya and mainline sections of the division are being kept under constant surveillance, he said.

That apart, the railways took stock of safety measures at each railway crossing gate. While there is no unmanned gate on the mainline section of the division, safety measures have been stepped up at each vulnerable gate. The Danapur division has chalked out a comprehensive safety plan to bring the accident rate to zero level in the current calendar year, the DRM said.