Southern Railway Sanctions Rs 2.3 Billion for EI Systems
RAILWAYS & METRO RAIL

Southern Railway Sanctions Rs 2.3 Billion for EI Systems

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.

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.

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Resources

Schindler named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026

Schindler has been named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026, a global ranking recognising companies for their workplace environments.Compiled by Forbes in partnership with Statista, the ranking is based on independent employee feedback, including whether employees would recommend their organisation to friends and family.The company said the recognition reflected its focus on creating a workplace where employees can develop their expertise and build careers. ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

India needs an export-execution mindset: Vishesh Jain

Interview with Vishesh Jain, Founder & CEO, EximpleWhat gaps in India’s global trade ecosystem led you to build Eximple, and what problem did you see businesses struggling with most?Eximple came out of a problem that all three founders had seen from different choke points in the trade ecosystem. India has millions of MSMEs and manufacturers, and many of them can make products that are genuinely competitive on quality. Yet only a small fraction is able to build meaningful international businesses. In our experience, the gap is usually not manufacturing capability; it is the ability to exe..

Next Story
Building Material

Nuvoco reports 13.5% revenue growth in Q2 FY27

Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd. reported consolidated revenue of Rs 27.9 billion for Q2 FY27, up 13.5% year on year. Cement sales volume rose 9% to 4.7 million tonnes (MMT), while EBITDA increased 11% to Rs 4.11 billion.The company said it began its cement operations in 2014 with a 2.3 MMT per annum (MMTPA) operation at Nimbol. It now aims to reach 35 MMTPA of cement capacity by FY28, nearly 15 times its initial capacity. Its portfolio spans cement, ready-mix concrete and modern building materials.On sustainability and cost efficiency, Nuvoco partnered with CleanMax for a 46.4 MW wind-solar hybrid re..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code