What happened: Indian Railways outlined station-and-coach fire safety and emergency preparedness measures

Indian Railways stated that it continuously works on mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery for foreseeable hazards, including fire incidents at railway stations and in trains across all railway Zones. The railway listed specific station measures, specific in-train coach measures, and a response system that includes trained staff, coordination with civil administration and emergency services, and regular mock drills.

Station fire safety measures: equipment, communication, evacuation, and prevention

Indian Railways announced the following fire safety measures at railway stations.

• Portable fire extinguishers: stations have portable fire extinguishers for use in case of fire. • Fire buckets with sand and water: stations carry fire buckets for firefighting support. • Frontline emergency training: Fire Fighting, First Aid skills, and Disaster Management are integrated into training modules for frontline staff such as Station Managers, Train Manager (Guards), Commercial-cum-Ticket Clerks, Loco Pilots, and Assistant Loco Pilots. • IRIDM (Indian Railways Institute of Disaster Management): IRIDM conducts regular courses in Fire Fighting, First Aid, and Trauma management for first responders, including train crew and on-board staff. IRIDM training is described as supporting the “Golden Hour” response window. • Communication protocols for emergency escalation: protocols for officials at stations and control rooms to contact the nearest fire brigade, police, medical facilities, ambulances, district administration, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). Contact numbers are made available to concerned railway authorities. • Automatic fire alarms at larger stations: Relay rooms and electronic interlocking rooms are being provided with automatic fire alarms. • Control phones for power disconnection: stations are equipped with control phones for station masters to immediately disconnect power supply to overhead equipment (OHE) in case of fires related to OHE. • Public address system for evacuation guidance: station public address systems can guide the public for evacuation during fires. • Passenger sensitisation announcements: regular announcements to sensitise passengers/public about not carrying inflammable items. • Luggage scanning at larger stations: at larger railway stations, passenger luggage is scanned. • Drives during sensitive periods: drives are conducted during sensitive periods to prevent carriage of inflammable materials by passengers. • Preventing electrical fires: electrical systems on stations are maintained regularly to prevent electrical short-circuits; Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCBs) and Moulded Case Circuit Breakers (MCCBs) are used in electrical panels; emergency lights are provided. • Well-marked exits: exits are well-marked to aid public evacuation. • Adequate water storage: larger stations have water storage equipped with coach watering facilities for use during fire emergencies. • Flame-based cooking prohibition on platforms: flame based cooking is not allowed on station platforms. • Regular audits of electrical installations: regular audit/safety drives are conducted for electrical installations in and around railway stations and office buildings.

In-train fire safety measures: suppression, fire-retardant design, and evacuation support

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