With the rapid growth of passenger and freight traffic, it has become necessary on the part of South Eastern Railway to modernize and maintain the signaling and interlocking equipment at stations on the important trunk lines in order to carry and ease the traffic movement.
During nationwide lockdowns in the wake of COVID-19, South Eastern Railway has taken major initiatives in the works of Signal & Telecom assetmaintenance all over its network.
The maintenance of assets has been done in the area of Multiple-Aspect Signaling, Automatic Signaling, Route Relay and Panel Interlocking, Automatic Train Control, Signaling of Level Crossing, Public Address System, CCTVs at Stations etc.
The major asset maintenance works in the field of Signal & Telecommunications include:
- Commissioning of 5 numbers of Sliding Boom in level crossings for the safety of the road users.
- Two numbers of Dual LVCD in stations for smooth train operations
- Power Cable Meggering at 38 stations for uninterrupted power supply
- Maintenance of 990 numbers of Point Machines
- Replacement of 399 numbers of Cells attached with integrated power supply systems
- Replacementof351 numbers of all type of Relays essential for signalling systems
- Replacement of Signaling/Power Cable for 9.407 km stretch to arrest any failure in coming days
- 188 numbers of Block Instrument Maintenance related to train operations
- Points and Crossing maintenance at 251 stations connected with safe train operation
- 217 numbers of Level Crossing Gate maintenance
- IPS battery Maintenance at 264 stations
Multiple other maintenance work was conducted in SER jurisdiction during prolonged lockdowns.
TheseSignaling and Interlocking works have significantly ensured the safe and expeditious running of trains throughout the system.
This maintenance of Signal & Telecom equipment provided with railways is a never-ending process and South Eastern Railway has been doing this during lockdowns in the form of old assets replacement, modernization and their execution.