Visakhapatnam: Safety measures are set to go high-tech in Waltair Railway Division as patrolmen will be seen carrying GPS-enabled tiny devices and all hand-pushed trolleys will be installed with GPS trackers for effective monitoring of safety inspections of the track. Toolkits are also set to get lighter. Among the modernisation works taken up, automatic territory signaling system has been completed between Duvvada-Gopalapatnam section with multiple section digital access to admit five trains in the section instead of the usual two. This will be inaugurated on Thursday.
Closed circuit cameras (CCTVs) have been installed at parcel offices to monitor the luggage at Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram which will be implemented in other locations in the future. “In the last seven months, Rs 70-80 crore has been spent for safety-related projects to save time and resources. Track renewal work has not been taken up due to time constraints. However, this is now being executed and takes 75 per cent lesser time than earlier,” said divisional manager M.S. Mathur. “We will know if the men who are patrolling are going and checking tracks physically. With this device, they can only call emergency numbers for emergencies. We have procured 400 GPS trackers costing Rs 5,000 each. We have already procured the devices which will be distributed among staff,” Mr Mathur said.
On track modernisation along the Gunupur—Naupada section (90.20km) which was one train-one system, is giving problems. To facilitate hassle-free traffic management, the division initiated several safety-related projects in this section including electronic interlocking system at Paralakhemundi station. Paralakhemundi is a two-line station and with this system, which has 19 working routes under it (between Parlakhemundi—Naupada) it is controlled by a universal fail safe block interface (UFSBI) through a 40 km BSNL channel. The station is being controlled by a level-crossing gate with electrical lifting barrier.
