CR to replace copper cables indicators with IP-based ones

Mumbai: The Central Railway (CR) plans to replace existing copper cable indicators with Internet Protocol-based indicators at 13 railway stations by December.  The exercise will cost CR about Rs 7 to Rs 9 crore. The line recently replaced Dombivali station’s indicator and now work is in progress at Shahad station. This is the first time that such indicators are being installed.

Sources said that several indicators on the CR often malfunction and commuters have  raised complaints regarding the same. Therefore, CR has charted out a plan to install IP-based indicators. Old indicators that are not obsolete will be used on the harbour line.    

A senior CR officer said, “An IP-based indicator uses an optical fibre cable, which is free from external interference. The reliability of these is much better than copper cables, which are susceptible to interference of tubelight noises and other voice devices.”

Sunil Udasi, chief public relation officer of CR, said, “The new indicators can be accessed from remote locations, thus troubleshooting will be easier.”