With anti-collision systems installed earlier achieving partial success, Railways today announced installation of an indigenous and efficient technology to prevent train mishaps.
The Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) has shown positive results during its run as a pilot project in South Central zone, a Railways official said.
TCAS enables the driver to view signal from his cabin itself through a monitor, and also advises the loco pilot about increasing and decreasing train speed, he said.
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"The technology is economical and will cost Rs 10-12 lakh per km to implement. The system is far more effective than the previous ones like Train Protection Warning System (TPWS) and anti-collision device (ACD)," Railway Member (Electrical) Kul Bhushan said.
TCAS would help in safe running of trains during foggy weather conditions and one of its key features is availability of an emergency button which the driver can use in the event of a potential mishap, bringing all trains in its close vicinity to a halt, he said.
However, its full-fledged implementation would take some time to be commissioned as it is currently being tested as a pilot project in the 250-km-long Lingampalli-Vikarabad-Wadi- Bidar section of South Central Railways.
"We have learnt a lot from the earlier technology and the experience gained has been invested in TCAS to make it robust and a viable alternative," he said, adding, "western countries are keenly observing development by Indian Railways in this space".
The TCAS has all the features of ACD and TPWS like avoidance of head-on collision.
Three firms were awarded the tender to roll out the technology which has been indigenously developed by Research Designs and Standard Organisation.
TCAS can read signal up to a distance of three km and intimate the driver about the status. The information to the engine will be disseminated via radio communication system linking the train to the station master and other trains in close radius.
Bushan also hinted at patenting the technology, the likes of which is available in Europe, China and Japan.
