SIMRAN

Real Time Train Tracking

RDSO Lucknow
H. S. Pannu Director General M. Alam Excutive Director (Tele.) T.P. Agrawal Director (Tele)

IIT Kanpur

Prof. Sanjay G. Dhande Director IIT-K B. M. Shukla Sr. Software Engineer

Historical Background.
Corporate Safety Plan (2003-2013) of IR issued in August2003 incorporates the role of Technologies in chapter IV. Mapping of Rail Network and tracking of trains using GPS & wireless connectivity are covered under item 4.6. Under Integrated Railway Modernisation Plan (2005-2010) issued in Nov.2004, Geographical Information System (GIS) mapping of Indian Railways Network and Assets/Facilities is covered under item no. 7.4. Provision of Display System inside the coaches is covered under item No.11for giving information to passengers. 12 projects have been selected under Technology Mission for Railway Safety (TMRS) after announcement of Honble Prime Minister of India on 15th Aug.2003. Project SIMRAN was one of them.

Historical Background.
Project SIMRAN under TMRS was sanctioned at an estimated cost of Rs. 2.0 Crores. This cost is to be shared by Ministry of Railways, Ministry of HRD and Industry Partner in the Ratio of 30%, 50% and 20%.However in absence of valid Industry Partner, the cost was shared equally by MHRD and MOR. The Project SIMRAN had started in April 2006 and has been completed on 30th September 2009.

Scope of Trial Project (SIMRAN)

Project SIMRAN envisages provision of real-time collection of train running information obtained through Global Positioning System (GPS) and proper communication arrangement between Train and Central Computer. Project SIMRAN envisages dissemination of train running information so collected
to passengers at stations through Passenger Information Display Panels. to passengers in train through Passenger Information Display Panels. to public/passengers on the Internet to public/passengers through IVRS to public/passengers through SMS

Central/Divisional Database Cluster Web Server

SMS Logger
SMS
GSM/GPR S Internet Network
GPRS

Data Logger

SMS/GPRS
GPS MCU GSM RF
2.4 GHz RF Exchange

GSM/LAN MP RF

Locomotive Equipment

Station Equipment

Dark Fiber OFC LAN

Internet
MCU RF

Coach Display Equipment Railway Users/Authorities

Real Time Train Tracking System

Central Traffic Controller

Station Display

Technology Adopted.
Locomotive Equipments developed under Trial Project have an inbuilt GPS Receiver for collecting GPS Co-ordinates, Speed and Time every second.

Locomotive Equipments do have inbuilt GSM Module communicating the information so collected to Central Server.

for

Locomotive and Station Equipments do have inbuilt RF Transceivers which operates at 2.4 GHz to exchange information.

Station Equipments do have inbuilt Data Port for Transmission/Reception of Information to/from Central Server through Railways OFC Network. Station Equipment are also provided with GSM Module as backup to OFC Network.
Coach Display Equipment equipped with 2.4 GHz RF Transceivers receives information from Locomotive Equipment pertaining to its Current Location, Current Speed, Time and Time & Distant to reach Next Station and displays it inside coaches.

Technology Adopted.
GPS Co-ordinates based Digital Map of all stations of Indian Railway have been prepared.

Salient Features of Technology Adopted.

Data Acquisition Process in fully Automatic, it does not requires manual feeding of Train Running Information (Time IN/Time Out) at Station, Control Office and NTES Terminals.

Train Running Information will be communicated to Central Server through Redundant Transmission Path. One is through GPRS/SMS from Locomotive Equipment other is through Mobile Satellite Services (MSS). Current train position can be displayed using Atlas Map, Logical Map or in Tabular/Text form.

Additional Facilities(Uses) of the System.

Locomotive Equipments also works as transmission platform through which data generated by On-board Diagnostics Systems is transmitted to Designated Server.

As Locomotive are being tracked continuously, this information can be utilized to improve the Rolling Stock Utilization. As the location of Locomotives will be available on Real Time Basis, POH can also be planned in advance.
As the trains are continuously tracked, Control Chart can be prepared instantly and accurately. These Control Charts shall be available to Divisional Officers on Real Time Basis. As all the Trains in the vicinity of a Section is tracked in Real-Time basis, availability of Maintenance Block (P-Way as well as Traction) can be predicted accurately. Locomotive Equipment equipped with GPS Receiver and RF Transmitter can be used to provide advance warning to Road Users of Unmanned Level Crossing Gates .

Additional Facilities(Uses) of the System.

Locomotive Equipments integrated with Smart-Card (provided to Train Drivers) can facilitate Real-Time Crew Management System Train Running Information generated through SIMRAN can be Input Data for Freight Operation Information System. Industry can track location of their consignment on Real Time basis and plan for unloading in advance which will reduce Demurrage Charges levied upon. Empty Rakes can be monitored and predicted for their availability. As such these empty rakes can be offered to industry in transparent manner similar to PRS.

Locomotive Equipment integrated with Train PA System can facilitate Control Office to Passengers Audio Messages at the time of emergency.
Traffic Analysis Report can be generated using SIMRAN Data to improve Train Operation.

Locomotive Equipment.

Real Time Train Tracking

Train Position Multi Lingual

Train Arrival Chart at Station

Real Time Passenger Information System

Locomotive Equipment generated Train Running Information can be used for Automatic Train Charting

Field Trial
For past 30 months continuous trials are going on. Now daily around 50 - 60 trains are being tracked. 7 Nos. Shatabdi Express Rakes (Originating/Terminating from/at New Delhi) have been equipped with Locomotive Equipment, which are installed in Guards Brake Van. 31 Rakes of Rajdhani Express have been equipped with Locomotive Equipment which are installed in Pantry Car/Guards Brake Van 14 MEMU Rakes are equipped with Train Device Moving in Lucknow, Barabanki, Tundla, Agra, Aligarh, Ambala, Panipat, Palval, Kurukshtra,Ludhiana, Phaphund, Etawah, Ghaziabad section. One Rake of Sealdah-New Delhi Duronto Express Train has also been equipped with SIMRAN Locomotive Equipment.

Field Trial
Online Station Display Board has been installed at Patna Jn. Showing Online Running Information of Patna boundTrains equipped with SIMRAN Train Equipment.

Field Trial
Under Project SIMRAN, a website www.simran.in have been developed which is being used to monitor Real Time Tracking of Trains equipped with Locomotive Equipment. Under Project SIMRAN, SMS Responder Service has also been developed. As such Real Time Tracking of Trains equipped with Locomotive Equipment can be accessed through Mobile Phone by sending an SMS T <Train No.> to following Phone Nos.
9415213409 9415213493 9415213497

Proposed Deployment of SIMRAN Technology On Indian Railways

8000 Passenger/Goods Locomotives 700 EMU/DMU/MEMU Rakes

Cluster Web Server1

Passengers
Rly.Board RDSO

GPRS/SMS Logger Server 1

Internet

GPRS/SMS Logger Server 2

Cluster Web Server2

Zonal Railways

Divisions

Important Stations

SMS-Responder

Call Centre

Deployment Scheme of Real Time Train Tracking System

Cost Details,Target & Status

Proposed Cost of Work

Plan Head, Allocation DF-III : :

83 Crore 2 Years

Target for Completion

Proposal has been sent to Railway Board for inclusion in Works Program 2010-11.

Wireless Coach Display System

Coach Display Broadcasting

Coach Coach

Engine

Coach

Coach

Coach

Brake Van

Engine

Coach

Coach

Coach

Coach

Coach

System Advantage
At the start of journey, Train No. is to be entered only in Main Equipment at Locomotive. Programming of route map for every individual coach will not be required. Emergency communication from Control Office to individual Coach can also be displayed. At the time of annual Time Table change, Main Equipment will automatically download required data from Central Server. Individual Programming of each coaches will not be required.

Successful Field Trial of Online Coach Display Board integrated with SIMRAN System has also been conducted in Gomati Express.

SIMRAN Based Warning at LC Gates and to Gang man

LC Gate Warning System

Train Detection Units Road Display Train Detection Units

2 KM

Power Line

Power Line Hooter

Control Unit

Detection Control Units

Station

Power Line & Control Line

A project has been taken up with IIT-K do develop SIMRAN based audio and visual warning to road users at LC Gates and to Gang man working on the track. Warning to LC gate users and gang man shall be provided at a fixed time before arrival of train. Warning at LC Gate will consist of Hooter and Flashing red light. Warning to Gang man will consist of a portable Hooter to be kept at the working site.

Integration with Onboard Passenger Announcement System

Integration with Onboard Passenger Announcement System

RDSO Specification RDO/SPN/TC/78/2008 for Onboard Passenger Announcement System has been issued. This specification covers provision of PAS Control Unit with Amplifier at Guard Brake-Van. For integration with SIMRAN System, there will be one Integration Module. This module will comprise of RF Transceiver, Micro controller, Flash Memory and Digital Signal Processor. This module will have prerecorded message in its Flash Memory to be played as based upon location of Train. This will also have facility to play pre-recorded emergency messages as and when activation signal is received from Control Office. These generated messages will be given as input to PAS. On-board PAS will have a defined priority for incoming message from this Integration Module.

Train Traffic Analysis through SIMRAN

Time: Booking vis--vis Actual Taken

Late running through out GZB to TDL Max delay AJR-CHL, MWU-SNS & TDL No speed restriction between AJR-CHL Speed restriction between MXK-SNS

Speed Restriction MXK-SNS MXK-SNS

Speed: Restrictions 17 April, 2009

Speed Restriction 30 kmph (GZB-CPYZ)
Time 133600 133620 133640 Speed 33.57676 34.304596 40.1884 TP Length 1429.685/23 1429.499/17 1429.290/10

Remark: Train speed was 3 to 10 kmph more than booked

Speed 17 Apr to 21, 2009

Non Scheduled Stoppages : 17 April

Msg
NSS NSS

Train
2420 2420

ITTS

Speed

Station
Balrai Manak Nagar

Stn_dst_mtr
87.424975 794.761374

20090417-170135 0.0 20090417-210358 0.0

Over speed: 19 April

Time 180520

Speed 122.12Kmph

Station Jaswant Nr (JGR )

Dst_stn_mts 1172.8

Over speed

Project SIMRAN is to Indian Railways as Project Unique ID to India