Mumbai: Western Railways' black box system to make communication with local trains a breeze

WR’s train management system at the Division Control Room in Mumbai Central. The yellow lines on the screens are moving trains

Mumbai local trains on the Western Railway (WR) are set to get a black box-like system which will record videos and images and enable the main control room to communicate with messages to motormen and passengers. The WR's tetra-based Mobile Train Radio Communication (MTRC), now in the last stages of commissioning, has cameras, microphones and digital video recorders with a data back-up capacity of 90 days.

"The cameras with day/night option have an audio feature with a range of up to 30 metres. The image resolution is 0.4 megapixel inside and 2 megapixels outside, with IP 66 protection. The software will also give us the ability to zoom into particular spots. The provision of crew voice and video recording system in the driving cab will help monitor and counsel train drivers for best output," WR's chief public relations officer Sumit Thakur said.

Currently, there is no mechanism inside trains to broadcast messages to passengers during major disruptions. This causes them to jump off trains and walk to the next station, risking their lives. The new system will help prevent this with real-time announcements.

"MTRC system will improve communication between the control room and the train or between various trains. It will provide seamless communication from the control room to the motorman and the guard, similar to the system used in various Metro and Monorail projects," he added.

Thakur said at present, motormen cannot use their mobile on duty. "Mobile phones are not very reliable in running trains as the network often drops in some sections. During the monsoon, network is always an issue. This is where the MTRC will step in," he said.

"Through MTRC, each train can be communicated with individually or a broadcast call can be made to all local trains from the central control or a group call can be made to predefined as well as a dynamic group of trains," he said.

30 metres
Range till which the system can capture sound