In recent years, Indian Railways has made significant advancements in signalling and telecommunications (S&T), which has made the railway network robust, secure and modern.
Automatic block signalling (ABS) is being utilised for optimal platform utilisation, ensuring the clearance of coaching trains from stations. This allows trains to depart promptly, reducing delays and improving overall efficiency. Additionally, in sections where line capacity has exceeded 100 per cent, leading to saturation, the implementation of ABS enables the operation of a larger number of coaching and freight trains. As of October 31, 2023, ABS has been deployed across 4,111 route km (rkm). Recently, ABS installation was approved in Bengaluru for six sections, covering a distance of 639 km at an estimated cost of Rs 8.74 billion.
Meanwhile, Indian Railways plans to make its signalling system along the entire network fully electronic to prevent train accidents, entailing investments of Rs 1 trillion. As a part of the plan, the existing electro mechanical system will be replaced with solid state electronic route relay devices and signals.
Notably, the average number of train accidents has significantly decreased from 171 per annum during 2004-14 to 71 per annum in 2014-23. This has been made possible owing to various initiatives, such as the provision of electrical/electronic interlocking systems with centralised operation of points and signals at 6,498 stations to prevent accidents due to human failure. Further, interlocking of level crossing gates has been enabled at 11,137 gates to enhance safety. Complete track circuiting of stations has been carried out to enhance safety, enabling the verification of track occupancy by electrical means across 6,548 stations. All locomotives are now equipped with vigilance control devices to ensure the alertness of loco pilots. Retro-reflective sigma boards are installed on the overhead equipment masts, serving to warn the crew about the signal ahead when visibility is low due to foggy weather. Further, GPS-based fog safety devices are provided to loco pilots in fog-affected areas, which enables them to determine the distance of approaching landmarks such as signals and level crossing gates.
There has been a growing focus on indigenisation. To this end, the ministry has launched an indigenously developed automatic train protection (ATP) system called Kavach. Developed by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation, it aids the loco pilot in running the train within specified speed limits through the automatic application of brakes, in case the loco pilot fails to use them, and also helps the train run safely during inclement weather conditions.
The first field trials on the passenger trains commenced in February 2016. Subsequently, Kavach was adopted as India’s national ATP system in July 2020. So far, it has been deployed on 1,465 rkm and 139 locomotives (including electric multiple unit rakes) on South Central Railway. Operational sections include the Lingampalli-Vikarabad-Wadi and Vikarabad-Bidar sections (265 rkm), Manmad-Mudkhed-Dhone-Guntakal section (959 rkm) and Bidar-Parbhani section (241 rkm). Western Railway is expected to complete the deployment of Kavach on the Mumbai-Ratlam route by June 2024. The route covers 735 km and has three sections – the Virar-Surat-Vadodara section (336 km), Vadodara-Ahmedabad section (96 km), and Vadodara-Ratlam-Nagda section (303 km). The system will be deployed on 90 locomotives on this route. Further, Kavach installation will also be completed on the Delhi-Mumbai corridor by 2025. Stretches of the railway network in Karnataka are currently being identified for the implementation of the Kavach system, with Central Railway covering 86 rkm and South Western Railway covering 1,198 rkm. Indian Railways aims to elevate its capacity of Kavach installation from 1,500 km to 2,500 km each year. Additionally, around 5,000 km is being targeted to be covered by 2026.
The Real-Time Train Information System is another “Made In India” edge processing, internet of things-based system used for automatic train tracking. It helps in tracking the real-time location and speed of locomotives/trains and has been installed on a total of 8,700 locomotives, which is about 60 per cent of the total locomotives in operation.
The establishment of the Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK) in 2017-18 has been a key milestone in the railways’ modernisation and safety journey. Under the RRSK, Rs 1 trillion has been allocated for a period of five years for the implementation of traffic facilities, level crossings, road over/underbridges, track renewals, bridge works, S&T works, electrical/traction distribution works, machinery and plant, workshops, training/human resource development and rolling stock. At the end of the five-year period by 2021-22, RRSK works incurred a gross expenditure of Rs 1.08 trillion. In 2022-23, the government extended the timeline for the RRSK for another five years, providing a gross budgetary support of Rs 450 billion.