Northeast Frontier Railway rolls out interlocking system at Mariani station

DIMAPUR — The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has achieved another milestone in its continued efforts towards modernisation and safety enhancement of railway operations.

In a press release, the NFR informed that under the jurisdiction of Tinsukia Division, Mariani (MXN) station was successfully commissioned with a distributed Electronic Interlocking (EI) system on June 13.

The first train to pass on signal after commissioning was Train No. 15604 (Guwahati Intercity Express) at 21:55 hrs, marking the beginning of a new era of efficient and safe train operations at the station.

The newly commissioned signalling system comprises a range of advanced features to facilitate seamless train movement and ensure operational reliability.

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The system has been configured with 135 routes and equipped with 02 Dual Video Display Units (VDUs) for enhanced operator interface. A total of 33 point machines have been installed to manage track turnouts effectively, along with 12 lines (five running lines and seven non-running lines), laid out for operational flexibility.

Further enhancing safety, the system includes 19 main signals and 30 shunt signals, supported by 44 DC track circuits for continuous train detection. The station has also been equipped with three sets of Integrated Power Supply (IPS) units and a 300 Ah battery bank to ensure uninterrupted power to critical signalling components.

Data logging capacity has been significantly bolstered with the provisioning of 3 loggers, each with 512 digital and 32 analog inputs, allowing for accurate system monitoring and fault diagnostics, it stated.

Two manned traffic gates at the station have also been brought under the integrated signalling framework, and a fire alarm system has been installed for added safety. For block working between stations, 03 sets of UFSBI along with HASSDAC systems have been provided, ensuring secure communication and train control.

“The newly installed electronic interlocking system at Mariani Station will significantly enhance operational efficiency, reduce human errors and improve the overall safety of train movements.

“This development is part of NFR’s broader commitment towards adopting modern technologies for safer, faster and more reliable railway operations in the region,” the release added.