By introducing modern signalling system, the Southern Railway has reduced the number of signal failures by 30 per cent in the last year, according to S. Manoharan, Chief Signal and Telecommunication Engineer.
“The Southern Railway stood second in the country in reduction of signal failures,” he told reporters after giving away awards to the officials and employees of his department from Madurai, Tiruchi and Thiruvananthapuram divisions.
Stating that signal failure was one among the various reasons disrupting rail movement, he said such failures were reduced through reliability improvement works like using LED lamps for signals, using self restoring fuses, high thrust point machinery and electronic inter-locking systems.
The LED colour light signals consumed less power, provided more visibility and were maintenance-free. Similarly, integrated power system introduced by the railways provided uninterrupted power supply doing away with failure of signal for want of power.
Mr. Manohar said that over 70 stations in the zone had been provided with electronic inter-locking signalling systems.
“This system will be provided in 70 more stations soon. In another two years, all the stations will get this system,” he said. Introduction of modern gadgets in signal system would help to increase track utilisation by running more trains, he added.
A total of 14 officers and 165 staff members received the awards in connection with the 59th Railway Week celebrations. Chief Communications Engineer Deepak Balla and Chief Signal and Telecommunication Engineer (Project), Chennai, V. Ajith Kumar, and Additional Divisional Railway Manager R.V.B. Babu spoke.
