Railways plans ₹1 tn signal system recast

Fully electronic system to slash maintenance, avert tampering

- Subhash Narayan

Signalling systems along India’s sprawling rail network will turn fully electronic over the next six years as part of a ₹1 trillion plan to avert the kind of errors that led to the Balasore rail tragedy in June, two people aware of the plans said.

The mission mode programme will replace the existing electro-mechanical system with solid-state electronic route relay devices and signals to reduce chances of human error and signalling failures, the people said on condition of anonymity. The decision was prompted by the railway safety commissioner’s report blaming such signalling errors for the three-train crash in Odisha’s Balasore on 2 June that killed 294 people.

The railway ministry is currently drawing up a list of vendors to supply the necessary equipment for the new system, which will reduce the need for frequent maintenance and prevent tampering. Japan’s signal system manufacturer Kyosan has already been approved as a vendor, and the first set of orders may go to this company; however, given the scale of work, more vendors are being identified. Tenders for the signalling overhaul would be floated after more vendors are approved, and the actual work may kick off over the next few months, the people said.