The upgraded signalling system envisages improvement of signalling system for improving safety, line capacity as well as to run trains at a higher speed.

Indian Railways to modernize its signalling system! By implementing the Modern Train Control system with Long Term Evolution based Mobile Train Radio Communication System on its entire network, the national transporter plans to upgrade its signalling system. According to a press release issued by the Railway Ministry, this is one of the most ambitious modernization projects of Indian Railways. The upgraded signalling system envisages improvement of signalling system for improving safety, line capacity as well as to run trains at a higher speed. The project will be implemented following the approval of NITI Aayog, Extended Board for Railways (EBR) and sanction of Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) at a cost of Rs 77,912 crore.

The upgradation work will include Automatic Train Protection System, Long Term Evolution based Mobile Train Radio Communication System, Remote Diagnostic and Predictive Maintenance System, Electronic Interlocking System, and Centralized Traffic Control System or Train Management System. In Supplementary Works Programme 2018-19, four works of total 640 route kilometres have been sanctioned as pilot projects at a total cost of Rs 1,810 crore. These four sections, which are considered to be some of the busiest routes on Indian Railways, are Renigunta-Yerraguntla section on South Central Railway, Jhansi-Bina section on North Central Railway, Vizianagaram-Palasa section on East Coast Railway and Nagpur-Badnera section on Central Railway.

To implement these four pilot projects on behalf of the national transporter, RailTel Enterprises Limited (REL) has been given the responsibility. RailTel is a subsidiary of RailTel Corporation of India Limited (RCIL). For this, tenders have been invited and currently, they are under evaluation. Meanwhile, with works of raising train speed up to 160 km per hour in order to reduce travel time from existing 18 hours to 12 hours on Delhi-Howrah and Delhi-Mumbai routes, Modern Train Control system shall be implemented on these two routes separately, the Railway Ministry added.