Southern Railway revamps its signal infra to increase train speed

22 May 2022 CW Team

Southern Railway is revamping its signal system by extending the distance between lights to boost train speed and offer additional braking distance for trains.

As part of the project, double distance signals will be placed at Jolarpettai-Erode, Erode-Podanur, and Podanur-Shoranur, allowing trains to go at 160 km/h.

If this proves to be a success, development on other routes will begin. By renewing rails and automating signals, speed has already been boosted to 110kmph on several portions of the western and southern routes from Chennai. The next phase is to increase the signal distance.

B Guganesan, Southern Railway's chief public relations officer, told the media that with the proposed increase in speed and haulage capacity of passenger and goods trains, the existing signal distance is not sufficient, and it brings out the increase in braking distances requirement for some of the loads and speeds.

It was critical to have a second distant signal in such situations. In the event of too much gap between succeeding signals, the loco pilot would not forget the aspect of the signal they have picked up and would be able to steer the train with appropriate braking distance.

Railways had spent Rs 9.43 crore on double distance signalling on the western line from Chennai.

According to a proposal filed to the Railway Board for approval, similar signal work would be carried out over 757 route km for Rs 117.17 crore.

The new signalling would help trains operate quicker. The routes are being prepared because the railroads want to improve train speed in the upcoming years when air-conditioned trains will be used more on express train lines.

The move is also motivated by the railway board's announcement that air-conditioned Vande Bharat trains will run on significant routes, including those connecting Chennai and the southern cities.

Image Source

Infrastructure Transport

13 Oct 2025

Tata, Airbus to Build India’s First Private Helicopter Line

In a landmark development for India’s aerospace sector, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Airbus will establish the country’s first private-sector helicopter assembly line in Vemagal, Karnataka. The facility will manufacture the Airbus H125 and H125M, marking a significant milestone in India’s push for self-reliance in aviation and defence manufacturing. The new Final Assembly Line (FAL) will produce the H125, the world’s best-selling single-engine helicopter, known for its versatility and performance in extreme environments. The first ‘Made in India’ H125 is expected to ro..

NeGD to Support Bharat Taxi in Building Cooperative Ride Platform

In a significant move for India’s digital and mobility transformation, the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) of the Digital India Corporation, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), has entered into an advisory partnership with Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited, the company behind Bharat Taxi — a first-of-its-kind, cooperative-led national ride-hailing platform. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between NeGD and Sahakar Taxi to provide strategic advisory and technical support covering key areas such as platform integration, cybersecurity..

MeitY Hosts Pre-Summit for India–AI Impact Summit 2026

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, hosted a series of Pre-Summit events for the upcoming India–AI Impact Summit 2026 at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025 in New Delhi. These sessions mark a key milestone ahead of the main summit, scheduled for 19–20 February 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. Delivering the inaugural address, S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, highlighted India’s innovative and frugal approach to AI development. “We have adopted innovative means by learning from others’ experiences to build projects and products that..