Mumbai

Central Railway has upgraded the Signal Location Announcement System (SILAS) across all local trains operating on the Mumbai Suburban Railway network to assist motormen in safer and error-free operations, officials said on Monday.

The GPS-based SILAS functions as an electronic co-pilot by announcing the number and position of upcoming signals, including whether they are located on the left, extreme left, right or extreme right side.

More than 2,300 suburban train services operate daily on Central Railway’s Mumbai network under an automatic signalling system, where signals are often positioned just 400–500 metres apart, creating intense operational demands for motormen.

Swapnil Nila, Chief Public Relations Officer of Central Railway, said Mumbai suburban motormen perform a “single-man job” under highly challenging conditions.

He said the upgraded SILAS is designed to reduce operational stress and enhance safety by ensuring no signal is missed, calling it an important step toward Central Railway’s “Zero SPAD” (Signal Passed at Danger) objective.

The upgraded system now provides audio alerts at 350 metres and 250 metres before a signal. In the case of a yellow signal, it repeatedly warns the driver that the next signal is red until a green or double-yellow aspect appears.

Officials said the system uses pre-loaded GPS coordinates, signal locations and route-specific audio recordings. Before each journey, the train manager selects the relevant route, including up or down local and through lines.

Central Railway is also developing SILAS further to announce upcoming station halts 500 metres and 250 metres before arrival.

In addition to signal assistance, the upgraded system will help monitor motormen’s driving behaviour by recording instantaneous speed at critical points such as yellow signals, platform entries, permanent speed restriction zones and neutral sections.

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The technology also enables real-time train tracking and speed monitoring of EMU services for improved operational control, officials added.