‘Railways going hi-tech for war against terror’

It is not delayed,but has been done one year in advance. As work of fifth and six line was completed,these lines had to be connected to existing main lines of the suburban section and also to Lokmanya Tilak Terminus. All work was done in night blocks without hampering traffic. Apart from this,for the TMS,control towers were to be converted into work stations at many places like Byculla,Dadar Kurla,Ghatkopar,Thane,Diva and Kalyan. For working in these stations,trained staff was required. Now training of these employees has been completed. By the end of August,TMS will be operative up to Kalyan.

What’s new in TMS in comparison with the system on WR,where it was introduced seven years ago?

It is an intelligent software. In the event of an anomaly,it will notice it and alert the section controller by sounding an alarm. The software,which has exact information management system,will also tell how to manage the traffic. There are many advanced programmes in the system.

What is the status of the elevated railway corridor between Churchgate and Virar?

Its analytical study is being undertaken by the Railway Ministry. The state government is still interested in the project and meetings are going on.

RITES was doing a feasibility study for 15-car rakes on CR.

Is it feasible?

There is no question of feasibility. Firstly,I will convert all nine-car rakes into 12-car ones. Then I will think about running 15-car rakes. At present,only six nine-car rakes remain to be converted into 12-car trains.

Recently,several rail fractures were reported on CR’s suburban section. What is the reason?

It was nothing more than equipment failure. Maintenance work is always on along the tracks. This year rail fractures are fewer than last year. Between April and June 2010,there were 48 fractures and between April and June 2011,only 38 fractures were reported.

Railways is always a soft target for terrorists. What are you doing to face such threats?

CR is gearing up for a war against terror and has drawn up a list of the most hi-tech security equipment at a cost of Rs 27 crore to protect commuters on its suburban railway system. I asked the state government to provide 500 home guards each for WR and CR stations. CR will also form three command centres at CST,Kurla and Kalyan to integrate the security monitoring mechanism. The system has been customised after selecting the best practices in rail security across the world. CR has floated tenders and the systems should be in place in a few months. The integrated security system will have five basic elements,including Internet protocol-based video surveillance system,access control system,personal and baggage screening systems,bomb detection and disposal system and system integration. The project will also include training of railway staff in installation,maintenance and operation of equipment/system. The entire system will be operated from the CCTV control room and will have provisions for monitoring from a remote location through the railway network.