Indian Railways has developed a vandal-proof warning system for unmanned level crossings which is working satisfactorily for the last three months on Coimbatore-Metupallayam section. Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), railways research wing, which has finalised the specifications of the system. It has recommended to all zonal railways to initiate steps for installation of the warning system in their respective areas as a step towards prevention of accidents. Also it is advised to install at least one or two systems for field trials before large-scale development can be initiated.
There are 30,348 level crossings across the country out of which around 11,563 are unmanned. The system consists of two modules where it is equipped with two blinkers and one siren to alert people when a train is within one km radius of the level crossing. Sensor modules are located within one km of level crossing to detect train movement on track.
Fitted with solar panel, it has a theft protection system, in case of any emergency at the level crossing by unscrupulous elements or for any other reason, and about trains crossing to SMS alert will be sent to pre-programmed mobile numbers.
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- Indian Railways started its service 161 years ago on 16 April 1853 when the first passenger train was run over a stretch of 33 kilometres from Mumbai to Thane.
- Four sites of Indian Railways have been declared as “World Heritage sites” by the UNESCO. These are Darjeeling, Himalayan Railway inscribed in 1999, Mumbai CST Building inscribed in 2004, Neelgiri Mountain Railways inscribed in 2005 and Kalka-Shimla Railways inscribed in 2008.
- The Fairy Queen, plying between New Delhi and Alwar in Rajasthan, is the oldest functioning steam engine in the world. It has been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.
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