South Eastern Railway to track trains by RTIS, device installed in 288 locomotives

Jamshedpur, Jan. 3: In an innovative way to track location and speed of running trains, the Centre for Railway Information System (CRIS) in collaboration with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has developed a Real Time Train Information System (RTIS) by linking locomotives via satellites.

Railway sources revealed that RTIS is primarily used for  knowing train movement data including arrival, departure and run-through timings at the en route stations. The trains pulled by locomotives are enabled with RTIS device  which can be plotted in train control chart ( or Control Office Application System) automatically under this navigation system. RTIS also gives mid-section location updates including the current speed of trains.

Confirming the development, chief public relations officer of South Eastern Railway, Sanjay Ghosh said that� recently in SE Railway zone, RTIS device has been installed in� altogether 288 locomotives.

“The automatic acquisition of the train running data by the RTIS system helps in improving the efficiency of train control, dissemination of accurate train running information to the passengers and freight customers and emergency messaging between locomotives and control centres, ” he said

An official informed that a locomotive is fitted with an RTIS device, which has two units � one is kept in the engine and the other placed on top. The RTIS device transmit signal. The satellite then relays data first to the control hubs, which finally reaches the railway enquiry system. Both passengers and freight customers receive a more accurate information on train status when the train concerned is connected to a locomotive equipped with RTIS.