Anti-Collision Device to strengthen security setup in Eastern Railway

Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, who showered a largesse on Bengal during her presentation of the budget, also announced to introduce Anti-Collision Device (ACD) in Eastern Railway, East Coast Railway, East Central and South Eastern Railway to improve the security set up.

The two accidents in Eastern Railway and South Eastern Railways in West Bengal at Sainthia in Birbhum and Sardiha in West Midnapore during 2010 claimed more than 200 lives and accidents elsewhere,too, have posed the challenge to safe rail travel.

Officials of the Northeast Frontier Railway, who were among the first to put the ACD in use, said the the Anti-Collision Device works under the Global Positioning System (GPS). There are two kinds of ACDs, one which are fixed atop the locomotive and the second type which are with the guard or at the level crossings. The device gives alert signal when the trains are on the same track within a distance of three kilometres.

Mapped through the satellite, the tracks have their own unique identification. When the trains are on the same track within a distance of three kilometres the ACD gives signal to the console of the driver.

Even in case the driver has been incapacitated, there is an automatic brake unit (ABU) with an intelligent brake unit (IBU) that itself calculates the speed of the train and applies brakes. Official of the NF Railway in-charge of the overall ACD project told the The Indian Express that there are about 1100 ACDs in the Railway for 567 locomotives.

"Considering the successful trials, I have decided to extend this device to Eastern, East Coast, East Central and South Eastern Railways," said Mamata Banerjee in her Budget Speech.

So far the ACDs have been installed in the 1,736 km of the North East Frontier Railway. part of which lies about 550 km in West Bengal. The cost of one guard ACD is around Rs 4.5 lakhs and locomotive ACD costs around Rs 9 lakh.

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