Central Railway has upgraded the Signal Location Announcement System (SILAS) across all Mumbai suburban local trains to assist motormen in safer and error-free train operations, officials said on Monday.
The GPS-based SILAS functions as an “electronic co-pilot” by announcing the number and position of upcoming railway signals, including whether they are located on the left, extreme left, right or extreme right side.
More than 2,300 local train services operate daily on Central Railway’s suburban network under an automatic signalling system. Since most signals are placed just 400 to 500 metres apart, motormen often work under intense operational pressure.
Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Swapnil Nila said Mumbai suburban motormen perform a “single-man job” under extremely demanding conditions.
“SILAS is being upgraded to act as an electronic co-pilot, reducing stress and enhancing safety by ensuring no signal is missed,” he said, adding that the move is a major step towards achieving the railway’s “Zero SPAD” goal, referring to “signal passed at danger” incidents.
According to railway officials, the upgraded SILAS provides audio alerts 350 metres and 250 metres before approaching a signal. In the case of a yellow signal, the system repeatedly warns motormen with the message: “Be careful, next signal is Red,” until a green or double-yellow signal appears.
The technology includes pre-loaded GPS coordinates, signal locations and route-specific audio recordings. Before beginning a trip, the train manager selects the relevant route, including up or down local and through lines.
Officials said SILAS is also being enhanced to announce upcoming stations 500 metres and 250 metres before arrival to improve operational efficiency and passenger convenience.
The upgraded system will additionally help analyse motormen’s driving patterns by monitoring train speeds at critical points such as yellow signals, platform entries, permanent speed restrictions and neutral sections.
Railway authorities said the technology also enables real-time train tracking and speed monitoring of EMU local trains, improving overall operational control on Mumbai’s busy suburban network.
