RailTel is set to implement modern signalling projects worth Rs 224 crore on Northern Railway Zone by replacing obsolete mechanical signalling by state-of-the-art electronic interlocking system, the rail PSU said on Tuesday.
The project will cover 26 stations — three on Delhi Division, nine on Ambala Division and 14 on Firozpur Division. This modern technology shall enhance safety and efficiency of train operation, it said.
The work has already been commissioned at six stations — three stations of Delhi Division (Pehowa Road, Kaithal and Kalayat) and three stations of Ambala Division (Bulluana, Malout and Pakki) — and is in advance stage of completion at balance six stations of Ambala Division. The first stage implementation on 14 stations of Firozpur Division has also commenced with initiation of planning, design and procurement processes for the equipment, RailTel said in a statement.
So far, Rs 65 crore revenue has already been booked and Rs 105 crore revenue will be booked in FY 22-23 and remaining in FY 23-24, it said.
Under the modernisation project, existing age old mechanical signalling system is being replaced by new modern electronic interlocking signalling system. This change of system will enhance the safety and operational efficiency. In addition, new system will also facilitate trains to run at higher speed of 110 kmph from a lower speed of 50 kmph at present.
The electronic interlocking signalling system will enable all operations by station master for movement of trains like signal clearance and setting routes by the click of a mouse on the computer (VDU) provided in his office and provides live view of train running in the station yard. It enables automatic verification of last vehicle clearance and facilitates monitoring and fault diagnostics on a computer.
”RailTel is a trusted telecom and signaling arm of Indian Railways. For enhancing safety and efficiency of train operations, it is necessary to replace age old obsolete mechanical signalling system by the state-of-the-art Modern Electronic Interlocking System. This system replacement exercise is a continuous process on Indian Railways and RailTel is playing an important role in this system replacement exercise,” Puneet Chawla, chairman and managing director, RailTel said. ”RailTel also intends to play a significant role in modernising Train Control System of Indian Railways through execution of KAVACH (Train Collision Avoidance System-TCAS) which is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system. This is proposed to be implemented over Long Term Evolution (LTE) based High Speed Mobile Communication Corridor for Indian Railways,” he said.
