The Railway Ministry has sanctioned the installation of electronic interlocking (EI) systems worth Rs 2.3 billion at 20 stations on high-density and highly utilised routes in Southern Railway, where Kavach, Automatic Block Signalling (ABS), and Centralised Traffic Control (CTC) are being implemented.

The EI system is a modern computer-based railway signalling technology that uses electronic components and software to control signals, track points and related equipment. It replaces traditional relay-based systems with faster, more reliable digital control, increasing train capacity while enhancing passenger safety.

In the Chennai division, panel and route relay interlocking systems will be replaced with EI (indoor and outdoor) at 11 stations — Katpadi Junction, Latteri, Kavanur, Gudiyattam, Valathoor, Melpatti, Pachchakuppam, Ambur, Vinnamangalam, Vaniyambadi and Kettandapatti — at a cost of Rs 1.36 billion.

In the Salem division, EI systems will be installed at nine stations — Samalpatti, Danishpet, Karuppur, Virapandy Road, Magudanchavadi, Mavelipalaiyam, Sankaridurg, Anangur and Cauvery — in the Jolarpettai–Erode section, at a cost of Rs 1.09 billion.

The project has been approved under the Works, Machinery & Rolling Stock Programme (Pink Book) 2024–25, Southern Railway confirmed.

An RTI response received on 15 September revealed that EI has already been installed at 250 of 492 stations under Southern Railway, with the remainder to be upgraded in phases. “The proposal sanction is a good move. This is a major upgrade from Southern Railway. There should be clarity on whether automatic block signalling will also be upgraded,” said Dayanand Krishnan, a resident of Tambaram who filed the RTI.