An estimated 15-20% of freight trains across the railway network are running with invalid or expired Brake Power Certificate (BPC) which is a mandatory document that certifies fitness of the rolling stock for operation.
Alarmed over the number of goods trains being operated without a valid road worthiness certificate, the Railway Board has instructed General Managers of all Zonal Railways to ensure that no loading is done on rakes without a valid BPC, railway sources told The Hindu on Friday.
At a high-level safety review meeting convened by the Chairman Railway Board/Chief Executive Officer after the devastating train accident in Bahanaga Bazar railway station of South Eastern Railway in Odisha that left 291 passengers dead and over 900 others injured, the issue of goods trains being operated with expired safety certification came up for discussion.
