Audio system to help prevent train accidents

MUMBAI: The Central Railway (CR) plans to install an audio warning system in motormen’s coaches of suburban trains by July as cases of jumping red signals have been increasing.

The warning system will sound ‘agala signal red hain’ (the next signal is red) as the train crosses to the yellow signal on the line.

A senior CR officer said, “In the suburban local service, there is already an auxiliary warning system (AWS) in the motorman’s cabin. As the train crosses the yellow signal, the AWS starts giving an indication in a form of an audio-visual to the motorman. We will connect a speaker to the AWS so that the warning can be heard.”

He also said that the sound system would remind the motorman that next signal is a red one, so that he should be cautious about the speed of the train and avoid overshooting.

“The car sheds of Kurla, Kalwa and Sanpada will connect a sound system to the AWS in all the rakes in the next two months,” he added. After crossing the yellow signal, the sound system will remind the motorman about the next signal in intervals of five seconds.    
The idea is being studied at the car shed, he said.

Crossing a red signal is considered a serious offence in the railway world. When the signal is red, it means that another train is on the same track ahead of the local train. In the railways terminology, jumping a signal is called ‘Signal Passing at Danger’ (SPAD) where a motorman or a loco pilot does not halt the train despite a red signal. In the last one month, three cases of overshooting of the signal was reported on CR.  

Sanjay Kumar Pankaj, divisional railway manager (in charge) of CR’s Mumbai division said, “We are trying to connect the AWS with a speaker system in each local train’s motorman’s cabin in the next two months.”