TRAFFIC SAFETY AND RAILWAY BURGLARY PREVENTION

Safety in traffic and security for transports are percepts that should insure the smooth and danger free maneuver operations for trains, infrastructure and environment. To insure the safety of railway traffic both for travelers and merchandise it is imperative that legal provisions and specific regulations approved by the Transport Ministry are upheld. All employees of railway companies are obliged to respect to the letter specific regulations and current norms. The General Circulation Safety Department (RGSC) within CFR-SA permanently insures monitoring for railway network activities in Romania. We could say that the final purpose of RGSC is preventing railway events by organizing specific actions regulated by the CFR-SA management.

RGSC has an important mission; it has to know and immediately act to eliminate noticed faults, propose new regulations and measures for improving the railway transport. There are already new railway agents operating on the CFR network. This led to a increase in the importance of the role CFR SA plays as sole administrator of the infrastructure. RGSC has to verify and control the way these private agents uphold specific regulations and whether the services they provide are within the boundaries of the law. Should they find that the law was not respected their operating licenses will be immediately terminated. When compared with other railway networks where fatal accidents happen often it would seem that CFR is more rigorous in upholding the regulations. Still sometimes accidents happen. This would be the case of the Mangalia incident that it seems happened because of the locomotive mechanic's negligence as the director of RGSC, Mr. … Blaga told us. The affirmation is not yet confirmed, an inquiry is pending. To prevent such accidents frequent tests are passed on railway personnel in order to find out their capacity to keep up with the demands of their functions. Misfortunately, safety of the circulation is hindered by another element currently disturbing CFR SA -theft and wrecking of property. Combating such destructive actions is a joint CFR SA - Railway Transport Police venture.

This year cases of theft have become increasingly numerous on the railways. RGSC told us of a few cases that were signalled this month:

1. On 13 August, at 0.35 between Saligni and Mircea Voda, robbers climbed a freight wagon to steal scrap iron and because they magnetised the contact line it automatically disconnected. Delays followed for three passenger trains. They were late by 148 minutes. The schedule of 17 freight trains was also disturbed; the total delay time was 3673 minutes. TF Police went on sight, but found no one.

2. On August 9, around 19.00, on the Cosmesti Station, near the Galati Department cooper ropes were stolen. This made an automated block go off line and a passenger train was delayed by 25 minutes. Tecuci TF Police was notified.

3. On August 8, around 16.00, near the CFR Iasi Department, between Barlad and Frunzeasca RGSC discovered the theft of 5500 meters of aerial conductors. The thieves were never identified.

4. On August 6 around 16.00, between Dorobantu and Poarta Alba in the CFR Constanta Department 7 meters of TTL cable were stolen, thus interrupting all communication in the area. Telephonic relays were re-established only around 20.30. In the CFR Iasi Department, in the Barlad area over 500 meters of TTR cable were stolen.

5. On August 2nd around 20.50 near CFR Brasov Department all cooper ropes were stolen from the automated block. This led to a 60 minutes delay for five passenger trains.

6. On August 1st around 14.00 in the CFR Bucuresti Department between Brazi and Ghidiu, 4 signal inductors were stolen. Still on August 1st around 17.30 on the CFR Iasi Department between Muncel and Calusesti 10 inductors were stolen.

Thieves usually go for cooper elements or aluminium inductors, all materials that can be sold at a fair price. Misfortunately, robbers also steal parts that cannot be used for anything else than that which they have been designed for.

What thieves don't know is that in many cases the items they stole are vital to the functioning of railway transportation.
Inductors for instance regulate the speed of the train and the way the mechanic acts when he must stop. If the mechanic fails to slow down, inductors cut in automatically.

The replacement can be made quickly enough once the theft was discovered but it implies important costs and sometimes a short while after the items they have replaced, they are stolen again. For the entire CFR network there are 10 to 15 such robberies per day. Although the missing items are replaced immediately the capture of the thieves is harder to achieve. Still police efforts are sometimes rewarded as thieves get caught sometimes. However, recuperating the items is very difficult.

Recently, in an attempt to diminish the number of these infractions, CFR SA proposed a law project to the Transport Ministry. This project would have railway theft be qualified as an attempt to national security, a fact that will lead to a considerable increase in punishment.

This material was written with the help of RGSC , within CFR SA.