Allocation more than doubles to Rs 337 cr

Cutting-edge technology to tackle accidents on tracks.

Technology enhancement is high on the Railways’ agenda. Mamata Banerjee has announced plans to install new, cutting-edge anti-collision devices (ACD), smoke detection systems and train protection warning systems (TPWS) to prevent accidents.

In fact, the Budget allocation on computerisation has more than doubled to Rs 337 crore for 2010-11, from Rs 162 crore spent in 2009-10 (a 21 per cent drop from Rs 206.06 spent in 2008-09, indicating poor absorptive capacity of the sector). Last year, the Railways had allotted Rs 332 crore. The allocation is up 1.5 per cent this year.

ACDs are already installed at Northeast Frontier Railway and will be extended to three more zones. “Four projects of TPWS covering 828 route kilometres to improve safety and prevent collision accidents will be implemented during the year,” said Banerjee.

The Railways are also developing crashworthy coaches and locomotives, besides installing automatic fire and smoke detection systems in 20 pairs of long distance trains on a pilot basis. A GPS-based optimised driver guidance system will be installed on diesel locomotives.

Banerjee further announced that 15,000 km of optic fibre cables (OFC) will be laid through private-public partnership to extend broadband services with last-mile connectivity to urban and rural areas. It already has an OFC network of 37,000 km. Another 12,000 km are being added.

The Budget also talks of using radio frequency identification technology to track wagons carrying coal and iron ore on the three zonal railways.

As promised in the last Budget, Banerjee said SMS updates of reservation status and movement of wagons to freight customers have been initiated, besides expanding the scope of mobile ticketing vans “Mushkil Aasan” to government medical college hospitals, high courts, districts courts, university campuses, IT hubs, Indian Institutes of Technology and Indian Institutes of Management.