The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered laboratory test of materials used for furnishing interiors of coaches in trains to ascertain whether they meet the prescribed safety standards to stand fire accidents.

The apex court said the laboratory test would indicate the toxicity index of materials used for PVC flooring, vinyl covering for seats and berths, cushioning material for seats and berths and curtain fabric.

A bench headed by Chief Justice H.L. Dattu asked the Centre and the railways to place the samples of the materials used in the coaches manufactured in 2013-14 and indicate the laboratory where the test can be carried out.

The bench, also comprising justices M.B. Lokur and A.K. Sikri, said the information regarding this has to be furnished before it within two weeks.

The court was hearing a PIL which alleged that use of sub- standard materials for furnishing interiors of coaches has caused asphyxiation deaths due to inhalation of toxic gases by passengers during fire accidents in trains.

It passed the order after going through the responses of departments concerned of the railways — Railway Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) Ltd., two rail Coach Factories of Kapurthala in Punjab and Lalganj, Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh and Integral Coach Factory, Chennai.

The PIL by Delhi-based advocate Abhay Singh had also alleged that the supply of sub-standard materials for train coaches was due to existence of a “nexus” between cartel of vendors and officials.

The petition filed in February this year had raised issues relating to the death of people due to fire accidents in trains, which were happening time and again. He had cited statistics of recent fire accidents in trains in which a large number of passengers had lost their lives.

“These deaths are caused due to asphyxiation by inhalation of toxic gases, engulfing the railways’ passenger coaches.

This toxicity is caused from poisonous gases released by the inferior and sub-standard quality of the materials used by the Indian Railways in the interior furnishings, which are all around the passengers,” the petition claimed.

The petition said, “The matter needs to be investigated and resolved at the earliest as the hapless passengers are being subjected to risking their lives while travelling in trains run by the Government of India, funded by the tax payers’ money and is considered as a safe and affordable mode of travel.”

It sought several directions including that sub-standard materials be collected from the railway coaches and be treated by an approved laboratory in presence of independent parties and the materials presently used in cushions, cushion covers, curtains, flooring and wood partitioning be banned.

The PIL said the court should direct the railways to replace the faulty material in all coaches presently in service and be tested for conformance to fire and safety standards.

It said RDSO is an organ of the Railway Ministry and is responsible for specifying the standards for materials to be used in the furnishing of a passenger coach.

“Unfortunately, the standards fixed by the RDSO are not being followed in letter and spirit. The materials used in the railway coaches emit toxic gases much beyond the permissible limit. The officials of the railways are apparently aware of this basic flaw in the materials being purchased and used in the passenger coaches,” it said.

There were a certain set of suppliers who had been approved as ‘vendors’ for the supply of such materials, it said.

“These vendors are in all probability related to each other operating from the same premises with common directors,” the petition claimed, while adding, “It is unbelievable that the officials of the railways are unaware of the formation of a cartel.”

“The nexus, between the officials of and the suppliers to the railways, is quite apparent and disturbing,” it said.