Jhansi: The Jhansi division of North-Central Railway has commissioned an Automatic Block Signalling (ABS) system on the 23.61-km Lalpur-Malasa-Pukhrayan-Chaura rail section, aimed at improving train safety, operational efficiency and line capacity.PRO NCR Jhansi division Manoj Kumar Singh said the system, which became operational on Monday, uses Electronic Interlocking (EI/OC) along with Multi Section Digital Axle Counter (MSDAC)-based dual track detection to provide reliable monitoring of track occupancy and train movement. The project covers three automatic block sections–Lalpur-Malasa (5.40 route km), Malasa-Pukhrayan (9.80 route km) and Pukhrayan-Chaura (8.41 route km).Railway officials said the system would allow a block section to be divided into smaller automatic signalling sections, enabling trains to follow each other at safe intervals without having to wait for the entire section up to the next station to become clear. This is expected to facilitate smoother train movement and help accommodate increased traffic on the existing infrastructure.As part of the project, eight level crossing gates have been interlocked. Approach locking and approach warning facilities have also been provided at six of these crossings to strengthen safety arrangements when trains approach the gates. The upgraded signalling system also includes new data loggers and automatic fuse changeover facilities, which are expected to improve monitoring and reliability while reducing dependence on manual intervention.Singh said the commissioning of ABS on the Lalpur-Chaura section would provide additional operational capability for handling higher train volumes in the future. The technological upgrade is part of Jhansi division’s efforts to modernise signalling infrastructure and strengthen safety and efficiency across its network.
