ISRO-enabled GPS trackers for over 2600 locos
Over 2600 locomotives (passenger and freight have been fit with GPS tracker devices according to Piyush Goyal, Union Rail Minister.
Additional funds for installation of real time information system (RTIS) in 6000 more locomotives (both passenger and goods) have been sanctioned in 2019, he added replying to a parliament question.
Real-time Train Information System (RTIS) project is being executed by Centre for Railway Information System (CRIS) -IR’s IT arm in collaboration with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
It is primarily used for acquisition of train movement data, including arrival, departure, run-through timings at the stations enroute.
As the RTIS devices have been installed in locomotives, the trains hauled by such locomotives get tracked through this system.
The zone-wise details of installation of RTIS device in the passenger and goods train locomotives as on November 20,2019 is as follows:
Zone | Number of Passenger Locomotives | Number of Goods Locomotives |
Central Railway | 103 | 217 |
East Coast Railway | 53 | 140 |
East Central Railway | 89 | 76 |
Eastern Railway | 130 | 28 |
North Central Railway | 44 | 71 |
Northern Railway | 268 | 61 |
South Central Railway | 146 | 127 |
South East Central Railway | 50 | 14 |
South Eastern Railway | 121 | 157 |
Southern Railway | 232 | 48 |
West Central Railway | 181 | 116 |
Western Railway | 177 | 00 |
Total | 1594 | 1055 |
Benefits:
Use of RTIS helps in improving the efficiency of train operations, better dissemination of train running information to passengers and freight customers besides emergency messaging between locomotive and control centre.