While the announcement from Bangladesh Railway regarding the introduction of measures to improve the security of the train-tracks is certainly appreciable, the fact of the matter still remains that this is an issue that is long overdue, even without mentioning the spate of vandalism and violence that has been observed in recent months.
The rail lines have been the target for miscreants for a long time alongside being a hotbed of debilitating and fatal accidents. Now that the authorities are introducing measures to finally address these issues, they need to make sure that they do this properly.
Aside from increasing the number of security personnel, the authorities are also integrating an Automatic Simulation System (ACS) to bolster the safety of the railway. The ACS technology is designed to stop running trains in instances where the line has been cut or there is an obstacle on the way. This will enable the train to avoid not only accidents, but blockades formed by vandals as well.
However, as robust as this system sounds, it needs to be implemented properly for it to actually work. Experts have already called this a step in the right direction, but without proper computer testing of the block system and effectively-trained drivers, we won’t see the benefits that these measures could likely bring about.
This is why the authorities have to remain vigilant. Bangladesh has indeed seen a number of ambitious projects being successful in the past, but the fact also remains that plenty of them have also generated subpar returns due to the unavailability of a skilled workforce.
As such, the authorities need to put a greater emphasis in training all personnel in the newly inaugurated security measures. Special care has to be taken during implementation as well, making sure that the computer tests aren’t even a decimal off.
These are measures that should have been taken a long time ago. Let's make sure we do it right.
