Journal of Analysis and Computation (JAC) (An International Peer Reviewed Journal), www.ijaconline.com, ISSN 0973-2861 Volume XII, Issue I, Jan-June 2019, UGC Approved Journal

RAILWAY SIGNALING USING ELECTRONIC SYSTEM

R. KOMATHI, P. SATHISH, S. SRISRUTHI, T. BHUVANESHWARI, P. MANJULAMMA

Graduate Scholar, Dept of ECE, Narayana Engineering College, Gudur, Nellore (Dt), AP, India. Assistant Professor, Dept of ECE, Narayana Engineering College, Gudur, Nellore (Dt), AP,India.

ABSTRACT there is no arrangement of steering. Clear of

Railway signaling system plays a vital role in the obstruction as available with road transportation, movement of trains. Electronic interlocking, an so there is a need to provide control on the advanced signaling system used worldwide has been introduced on Indian Railways. At present the movement of trains in the form of railway signals working installation of the system on Indian Railways which indicates to the loco pilots to stop or move are of different approved manufacturers. Although electronic interlocking system is supposed to give and also the speed at which they can pass a signal flawless performance. The nature of the appearance of a signal conveys the driver and instructs him to . Since the load carried by the trains and the speed stop, move or be cautious. Railway signaling is a which the trains can attain are high, they need system used to direct railway traffic and keep trains clear of each other at all times. Since the most more braking distances before coming to the stop important aspect of a railway signaling system is from full speed. Without signals the accidents safety and the decision making system. may occur due to the collisions. There are Keywords: Railway interlocking, , Points. basically two purposes achieved by railway I. INTRODUCTION Signalling. First is to safely receive and dispatch trains at a station and second is to control the All over the world railway transportation movements of the trains from one station to is increasingly used, as this mode of another after ensuring that the track on which this transportation is more energy efficient and will move to reach the next station is free from environmentally friendly than road transportation. movement of another train either in the same or Train move on steel rail tracks and wheels of the opposite direction. This control is called block railway vehicle are also flanged steel wheels. working. Preventing the movement from opposite Hence least friction occurs at the point of contact direction is necessary in single line track as between the track and the wheels. Therefore trains movements in both directions will be on the same carry more loads resulting in higher traffic track. Apart from meeting the basic requirement capacity since trains move on specific tracks of necessary safety in train operation, modern called rails, their path is to be fully guided and plays an important role in

R. KOMATHI, P. SATHISH, S. SRISRUTHI, T. BHUVANESHWARI, P. MANJULAMMA 1 Journal of Analysis and Computation (JAC) (An International Peer Reviewed Journal), www.ijaconline.com, ISSN 0973-2861 Volume XII, Issue I, Jan-June 2019, UGC Approved Journal determining the capacity of a section. The RRI checks if the command given is safe and capacity decides the no of trains that can run on a takes necessary action, but if the command given single day. By proper signalling the capacity can by the station master is invalid and unsafe it does be increased to a considerable extent without not execute it. restoring to costlier alternatives The output of the Interlocking Logic is also a . relay, which in turn drive the signals and Point II. EXISTING METHODS Machines associated with points. RRI till date is A. PANEL INTERLOCKING the safest system implemented, because it PI is the system used in most medium size stations implements the proven interlocking rules and also on IR. In this, the points and signals are worked since the Relays used in RRI are inherently by individual switches that control them. All failsafe, they (Contacts) drop to safe state due to points and signals are operated electrically from a gravity even when power supply is not available central location. The switch for operating these or in any kind of malfunction. points and signals are mounted on a panel. The relays circuits are build using the station Electrical interlocking is achieved by means of Control Table as the input document and the relays. Centralized controlling of greater area is interlocking rules as the Logic. The Control table great advantage. With elimination of inter cabin decides the possible movements of the train inside controlling more number of trains can be run. a station yard and its relationship with other In panel interlocking each point in the line has to stations. Route relay interlocking (RRI) is the be individually setup with a switch and clearance system used in large and busy stations that have to of the signal is obtained by operating the switch. handle high volumes of train movements. In this, an entire route through the station can be selected B.ROUTE RELAY INTERLOCKING and all the associated points and signals along the In Route Relay Interlocking or popularly known route can be set at once by a switch for receiving, as RRI, the Control Rules are implemented using holding, blocking, or dispatching trains. Relays. These relay based circuits implement all III. PROPOSED METHOD types of Logic and take inputs from Signals,

Points and Track Circuits Etc. in the form of ELECTRONIC INTERLOCKING relays. The Command to set and clear the route The era of interlocking started with mechanical for the train is taken in the form of button form lever frames. As the size of yards & train the Station master’s console (Control cum movements increased, size of lever frames also Indication panel). When a command is given the

R. KOMATHI, P. SATHISH, S. SRISRUTHI, T. BHUVANESHWARI, P. MANJULAMMA 2 Journal of Analysis and Computation (JAC) (An International Peer Reviewed Journal), www.ijaconline.com, ISSN 0973-2861 Volume XII, Issue I, Jan-June 2019, UGC Approved Journal increased. These lever frames not only increased in size occupying more space but also required intensive maintenance. With the advent of Electro-mechanical relays, these lever frames gave way to relay interlocking based installations. This development resulted in relatively faster operation, fail safety in operation and reduced size of buildings required for housing of interlocking installations. With further increase in traffic and expansion of railway network, large number of Route Relay Interlocking and Panel Interlocking FIG: Block diagram of EI installations were commissioned. WORKING OPERATION With development of modern fault tolerant and RELAYS fail safety techniques, electronics and particularly microprocessors have found acceptance in the Relays are electro-magnetic devices that are used for opening / closing electrical circuits, when their own feed circuits get area of railway Signalling world over. Railways in completed. The word relay is derived from the fact that these advanced countries of Europe, North America & devices relaycertain information from one circuit to the other. Australia have gone for large scale introduction of A relay is basically a switch,which switches current between microprocessor based Electronic Interlocking circuits.It basically comprises of a core made of iron,over system (EI). This system occupies considerably which, a copper wire coil is placed, and a magnetic circuit consisting of heelpiece ,connected to contacts. Passing a less space, consumes less power, is more reliable current through the coil turns it into an electromagnet and the and is easy to install and maintain. Also, initial armature is attracted towards it. This moves the contacts and commissioning & changes due to yard re- makes or breaks them. Stoppage of current removes the modelling can be carried out in negligible time electromagnetism and returns the armature to its original position. Both AC and DC current can be used for operating requiring skeleton manpower for traffic the relay.An air-gap is provided to prevent sticking of management during the blocks. armature.

R. KOMATHI, P. SATHISH, S. SRISRUTHI, T. BHUVANESHWARI, P. MANJULAMMA 3 Journal of Analysis and Computation (JAC) (An International Peer Reviewed Journal), www.ijaconline.com, ISSN 0973-2861 Volume XII, Issue I, Jan-June 2019, UGC Approved Journal

FIG: Relay automatically taken over by the other equipment EI RACK without any time delay.

EI is a computer based electronic interlocking STATION MASTER system, used for controlling points, signals, gates etc. Through a centralized control The station master is responsible for the panel or through VDU, like existing relay based/ management of other station employees and holds mechanical interlocking systems. responsibility for safety and the efficient running of the station. The terms was historically employed across stations of all sizes, leadings to variation in the precise role. At a major city terminus, with potentially hundreds of employees, the station master’s duties would focus on personnel management and public relations. At smaller town and country Stations, with a more

FIG: EI Rack limited staff, the station master would have far more customer interaction with travelling It consists of two types of systems passengers, and would commonly deputies. 1. Warm standby V. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 2. Hot stan

1. Warm standby . In this way, no other train is allowed to enter a conflicting route until it is released by the In this arrangement only one system is in power interlocking system. Over the years, the on mode while the other is in power off mode. continuous technological development has There is no communication between the two enabled to achieve this function in an increasing systems. Once powered on system is failed, the performing way. other will be powered on after a time delay. In order to ensure that the signalling system never 2. Hot standby provides unsafe (conflicting) signals and the In this system the main and stand by systems are points are not set for more than one train that powered on. Both systems take inputs, process it, might end up proceeding on to the same section of communicate with each other and finally give one track and hence suffering a collision, various output. If anyone of the two systems shutdown, schemes have been developed to coordinate the there is no interruption in the output. The load is

R. KOMATHI, P. SATHISH, S. SRISRUTHI, T. BHUVANESHWARI, P. MANJULAMMA 4 Journal of Analysis and Computation (JAC) (An International Peer Reviewed Journal), www.ijaconline.com, ISSN 0973-2861 Volume XII, Issue I, Jan-June 2019, UGC Approved Journal settings of the points and the signals with in the 7. General Company (1913). Sperry, Henry M., ed. Electric Interlocking region controlled by a signal box or signal cabin. Handbook. Rochester, New York: Company. VI . CONCLUSION 8. Calvert, J. B. "Toucey and Buchanan Interlocking". Railways: History, Signalling Electronic interlocking is an advanced signalling Engineering. Archived from the original on system used worldwide has been introduced on 23 April 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2011. 9. A system whereby compressed water and air Indian railways .Although electronic interlocking are used to transmit action from one end of a system is supposed to give flawless performance, long tube to the other end. It can be effective, but it still qualifies as a mechanical system It is suggested that in the complex field of railway since the pressure is pre-loaded, and requires signalling, where safety, availability and human action of the same sort that a pure maintainability are the major issues, the railway mechanical system requires. 10. Lexikon der gesamten Technik, entry operators must be taken in to confidence and the "Stellwerke" method applied to design these systems should be 11. "BerlinerStellwerke". Archived from the reliable, verifiable and should create confidence in original on 28 November 2012. Retrieved 24 November 2012. the railway operators. 12. Alstom Signaling Incorporated (2004). West Henrietta, New York Alstom. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 27 December 2011. VII . REFERENCES 13. General Railway Signal Company (1936). The NX System of Electric 1. Josserand, Peter; Forman, Harry Willard Interlocking. Rochester, New (1957). Rights of Trains. New York. OCLC 184909207. Archived from the York: Simmons-Boardman Publishing original on 2010-11-28. Corporation. 14. "Signaling and Interlocking On New Line of 2. "Death of John Saxby". Railway Age New York Subways". Railway Signaling and Gazette. Simmons-Boardman Publishing Communications. Simmons-Boardman Corporation. Publishing Corporation.: 578–583 September 3. Solomon, Brian (2003). Railroad Signaling. St 1949. Retrieved 27 December 2016. Paul, Minnesota: MBI Publishing Company. 15. "Buttons to Speed Travel in Subway: 4. The first manufacturer of signal equipment, $2,000,000 System of Signals Soon to Be in the predecessor of Westinghouse Brake and Operation on Brooklyn IND Division" . The Signal Company Ltd, and New York Times. November 12, today’s Westinghouse Rail Systems, Ltd. 1948. Archived from the original on 12 (headquartered in Chippenham, Wiltshire) Febrruary 2018. Retrieved 27 5. US patent 80878, John Saxby & John Stinson December 2016. Farmer, "Improved Switch and Signal", 16. US patent 2567887, Ronald A. McCann, issued 11 August 1868 "Entrance-exit route interlocking control 6. "Landmarks in Signaling History". Railway apparatus", issued 11 September 1951, Age Gazette. Simmons-Boardman Publishing assigned to The Union Switch and Signal Corporation. Company

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17. Woolford,Paul(April2004). Glossary of Terms (PDF) (Report). Railway Signalling Group Guidance Note GK/GN0802. London: Rail Safety and Standards Board. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 May 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2016. 18. "SmartlockInterlocking". www.alstom.com. A rchived from the original on 8 October 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2018. 19. Defined by the Railway Signal Association, which today is the Railway Signal Committee of the Association of American Railroads.

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