Deployment of India’s locally developed Automatic Train Protection technology called Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) is likely to begin soon on North Central Railway‘s Mathura-Palwal section.
Bids have been invited for design, supply and installation of trackside TCAS equipment on the 84 kilometre stretch between Mathura and Palwal. The section is common to the Mumbai-Delhi and Delhi-Chennai routes of the Golden Quadrilateral.
The last date for submission of bids by the two packet system is 27th November 2020. Work has to be completed in 18 months from the date of award of the contract.
TCAS: Part of 160 kmph upgrade
The Mathura-Palwal TCAS deployment is part of the Mumbai-Delhi 160 kmph upgrade project. Train Protection and Warning System (TPWS), based on European Train Control System (ETCS) L1, is currently in use on the Delhi-Agra route.
Mumbai-Delhi and Delhi-Howrah routes are being upgraded to 160 kmph speeds. European Train Control System L2 was originally planned to be deployed on both routes as part of the 160 kmph upgrade project. However, Indian Railways decided that the costs of ETCS L2 deployment were too steep and chose to go with the locally designed and developed TCAS instead.
TCAS deployments so far
The first deployment of TCAS for development purposes was carried out on 250 kilometres across three different lines on South Central Railway. The system was tested and refined on these stretches since 2015.
Last week, the first live TCAS installation was commissioned on a 21.5 kilometre stretch between Secunderabad and Mudkhed by Medha, one of three main vendors for TCAS so far.
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