VIJAYAWADA : Making giant strides towards infrastructural upgrade on a full scale, the Vijayawada Division of South Central Railway has commissioned an advanced Automatic Block Signalling System for a stretch of 21.21 km between Gannavaram-Pedda Avutapalli-Telaprolu-Nuzvid Stations.
This commissioning aims to enhance safety and efficiency along the Divisional Railway network. This ambitious project in the most congested Gannavaram-Nuzvid Section was executed in 12 months with an investment of Rs 31.81 crore by the Gati Shakti Team of Vijayawada Division.
The Automatic Block Signalling (ABS) system in Indian Railways is a method of railway signalling that divides a railway line into successive track sections or blocks. The system controls the movement of trains between these blocks using automatic signals.
ABS operation allows trains to operate automatically, enhancing safety and sectional capacity. It helps to accommodate more trains in a section thus reducing the detention of trains and swift movement of rail traffic than regular Intermediate Block or Absolute Block Signalling System working.
With this commissioning, a total length of 58.91 km stretch is equipped with an ABS System across the Vijayawada Division.
Recently the stretch between Nidadavolu and Kovvur was commissioned in April. Other stretches commissioned in Vijayawada Division are between Vijayawada-Gannavaram and Vijayawada-Krishna Canal Junction. ABS works are in progress at other important sections with heavy congestion. The Gannavaram-Nuzvid section is a vital part of the railway network, serving both passenger and freight traffic.
A total of 22 automatic signals were set up between Gannavaram-Nuzvid Sections. Total two ABS huts in the mid-section and four ABS equipment huts at Gannavaram, Pedda Avutapalli, Telaprolu, and Nuzvid stations respectively were constructed with prestressed precast technology for housing the ABS equipment. All the signals were also provided with illuminated ‘A’ markers.
Vijayawada Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Narendra A Patil congratulated Gati Shakti chief project manager Ch PR Vital, Dy CSTE R Viswanath Reddy, DSTE Ramesh Kamulla and team for commissioning the ABS System in the busiest section of Gannavaram-Nuzvid.