Southern Railway has provided the Integrated Power Supply (IPS) system at 20 mid-section engineering interlocked level-crossing gates in Tiruchi Division.
Of these, the IPS facility has been provided at 15 interlocked level-crossing gates in the Thanjavur-Mayiladuthurai broad gauge section and at five interlocked level-crossing gates in the Thanjavur-Tiruvarur section at a cost of ₹3 crore.
Principal Chief Signal and Telecommunication Engineer, Southern Railway R. Baskaran inaugurated the IPS system at the 20 mid-section level-crossing gates on Thursday.
The IPS system ensures continuous power supply to signals and prevents blanking of signals when the train is approaching. Under this system, the IPS is provided with four hours battery backup, and the signals work even if input power supply fails. This ensures there is no unnecessary detention of trains at level-crossing gates during power failure, according to a Southern Railway press release. The IPS facility ensures punctual and safe running of trains.
In Tiruchi Division, all the 90 railway stations have been provided with the IPS facility. Out of the 146 mid-section engineering interlocked level-crossing gates in the division, this facility had been provided at 91 level-crossing gates. Work is under progress to provide the IPS facility at the remaining 55 interlocked level-crossing gates and this will be completed in the financial year 2021-2022, the release added.
