A major milestone has been achieved in modernising railway operations in the Bilaspur zone of South East Central Railway. According to the Railways, an automatic signalling system has been commissioned on a total of 110 route kilometres across 13 rail sections in the zone between April and November 2026. The work is equivalent to 235 kilometres of double railway line. The system will increase train-handling capacity on busy routes and make the movement of passenger and freight trains smoother.
Under the Bilaspur railway division, the automatic signalling system was commissioned on the Sakti – Jharadih – Kharsia section at 6:30 pm on November 2 and on the Harri – Venkatanagar – Nigaura section on November 5. Both sections are important parts of the Howrah – Mumbai main railway route and the Bilaspur – Katni railway route.
32 new signals from Sakti to Kharsia
The Sakti – Jharadih – Kharsia rail section is a four-line section with a length of 16 route kilometres. A total of 32 new automatic signals have been installed here. The entire system has been linked to a modern electronic interlocking system. In addition, 180 detection points of multi-section digital axle counters have been installed to monitor the position of trains.
Modern system in Harri – Venkatanagar – Nigaura as well
The system has been commissioned over an 18 route kilometre area on the Harri – Venkatanagar – Nigaura section. A total of 40 automatic signals have been installed on this three-line section. Along with this, 24 semi-automatic signals have been installed in the yards of the three stations. For train monitoring, 172 detection points and 197 track sections have been created.
Several trains can run on the same rail section
Under the traditional signalling system, the next train between two stations has to wait until the first train reaches the next station. In automatic signalling, the rail section is divided into smaller parts and signals are installed. This allows several trains to run one after another on the same rail section while maintaining a safe distance.
The system is expected to reduce unnecessary stoppages of trains, improve punctuality and increase the capacity of the rail route. Freight trains linked to coal, steel, cement and power industries will also benefit. According to the Railways, the increased capacity will also strengthen the possibility of running new trains and starting additional trips in the future.
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