RailEnquiry

Western Railway (WR) has decided to modify route change rules and its signalling and telecom system after a slow Borivali local collided with a Virar fast near a crossover point at the signal at Andheri station around 11.23 pm on June 16.“WR is taking steps to ensure such incidents are not repeated. Apart from technical track modifications, it has given instructions regarding communication rules to ensure transparency in movement of locals,” said an official.“Control room employees have been told that in situations where signals have to be changed to allow a train passage while another train is waiting near a crossover, they need to ask the motorman of the first train to determine his exact location. Earlier, this was done on the basis of automatic signalling,” he said.Track circuiting and axle counters are expected to double check the position of trains in such circumstances.Digital axle counters, which help in operations during monsoons, have been placed near signal bases at a maximum distance of 13 metres from the track circuit that determines the aspect of a signal. An aspect or colour of a signal determines movement of trains.