To enhance the safety and security of passengers and avert collision of trains, Indian Railways will spend Rs 2,002 crore in 2012-13 in various signalling and telecom works.
Announcing these as a part of the Railway Budget on Wednesday, railway minister Dinesh Trivedi said the total cost of various signalling and telecom works was estimated to be Rs 39,110 crore over the next five years.
As a part of the initiative, the railways would install the train protection and warning system (TPWS), which ensures automatic application of brakes whenever a driver overshoots a signal at danger, thereby eliminating chances of collision of trains. To begin with, the TPWS is proposed to be installed on more than 3,000 route km.
Besides, a score of user-friendly initiatives was also announced. Real-time flight and train running information will be available on mobile phones. Indian Railways is planning to introduce a satellite-based real-time train information system (SIMRAN) to give train-running information to passengers.
“The SIMRAN project will provide opportunities for Indian IT (information technology) players for managing such a data base. However, we are awaiting details about the project. Even the TPWS will increase ICT (information and communication technology) adoption by Indian Railways, which is a good news for the hardware industry,” Sabyasachi Patra, executive director of the Manufacturers’ Association of IT Industry, told Business Standard.
To make train journeys paperless, the railways will soon send SMSes to passengers’ mobile phones for e-tickets to be accepted as proof of reservation. Passengers would also be able to book meals on their mobile phones. The railways also announced the Book-a–meal scheme for multiple choice of meals, like low-cost and diabetic meals, through SMS or email.