Blank Central Railway indicators stare at Mumbai commuters

Despite spending crores of rupees on installing the world-class Train Management System (TMS) software, Central Railway’s (CR) 37 lakh commuters are still groping in the dark. Go to any small suburban railway station on CR after 10.30pm and you will find neither the train indicators working nor any announcements.

Global giant Bombardier had completed Phase 1 of the contract whose approximate total project cost was Rs30 crore for the design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of the TMS on Mumbai’s CR.

Phase 1, inaugurated by former railway board chairman Vivek Sahai in April, was expected to provide minute-to-minute countdown timers to track the real-time movement of trains for commuters.

Official sources said the railways are still in the process of installing relevant infrastructure at stations which will enable the countdown timers. “We are also simultaneously putting up big screens at stations to enable commuters to get information on the next five trains expected. The process is on and should be complete in the next few months,’’ a senior official said on the condition of anonymity.

Also called the Train Describer System, the delay in implementing the system was initially attributed to the fact that the new 5th and 6th

railway lines were required to be connected to the Kurla yard at Vidyavihar with the existing system. The Western Railway has already installed a train management system a few years ago.