NEW DELHI: In a significant move to enhance rail safety and eliminate accidents caused by human error and faulty signalling like that at Balasore, which claimed 296 lives, the railways has successfully completed pilot runs of the new Direct Drive Electronic Interlocking (DDEI) system at three stations, including Jammu and Tajpur (Madhya Pradesh).
The new signalling system eliminates human interface and will be used across the railway network in the future.
DDEI represents a major technological shift in railway signalling. Unlike conventional systems that rely on mechanical linkages and relay-based interlocking, DDEI directly controls points (track switches) and signals through advanced electronic components and software. This drastically reduces human intervention, thereby minimising the scope for operational errors, railway officials said.
The system ensures that all switches are correctly aligned, the track is free from obstruction, and level crossing gates are securely closed before a train is allowed to proceed. It also guarantees that only one route is cleared at a time, preventing conflicting train movements.
The railway ministry had taken up the pilot projects in FY 2023-24 as a part of the plan to improve the signaling system. “The results are encouraging, and now it can be used extensively,” said a railway official.
Electronic interlocking is a key safety mechanism in railway operations, ensuring safe train movements through stations and junctions. While traditional electronic interlocking (EI) systems rely heavily on relays to manage signals and switches, DDEI eliminates the need for most relays by directly monitoring and controlling signaling gear. It also detects gear positions in real time, further reducing the potential for mishaps.
Railway sources said the use of Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) in DDEI reduces the requirement of conventional copper cable by 60–70%, thereby providing protection against lightning. “Number of relays also reduces by about 70%, thereby reducing maintenance cost and making it easier to locate any fault,” an official said.
Relay is a device that controls the electrical circuit that operates the EI.
The new signalling system eliminates human interface and will be used across the railway network in the future.
DDEI represents a major technological shift in railway signalling. Unlike conventional systems that rely on mechanical linkages and relay-based interlocking, DDEI directly controls points (track switches) and signals through advanced electronic components and software. This drastically reduces human intervention, thereby minimising the scope for operational errors, railway officials said.
The system ensures that all switches are correctly aligned, the track is free from obstruction, and level crossing gates are securely closed before a train is allowed to proceed. It also guarantees that only one route is cleared at a time, preventing conflicting train movements.
The railway ministry had taken up the pilot projects in FY 2023-24 as a part of the plan to improve the signaling system. “The results are encouraging, and now it can be used extensively,” said a railway official.
Electronic interlocking is a key safety mechanism in railway operations, ensuring safe train movements through stations and junctions. While traditional electronic interlocking (EI) systems rely heavily on relays to manage signals and switches, DDEI eliminates the need for most relays by directly monitoring and controlling signaling gear. It also detects gear positions in real time, further reducing the potential for mishaps.
Railway sources said the use of Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) in DDEI reduces the requirement of conventional copper cable by 60–70%, thereby providing protection against lightning. “Number of relays also reduces by about 70%, thereby reducing maintenance cost and making it easier to locate any fault,” an official said.
Relay is a device that controls the electrical circuit that operates the EI.
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