The Indian Railways will use radio-frequency identification tags (RFID) for tracking wagons, coaches and locomotives to ensure effective and transparent functioning. Using RFID devices, it will be easier for the railways to know the exact position of wagons, locomotives and coaches. Currently, such data is maintained manually, which leaves scope for errors.
While the RFID tag will be fitted in the rolling stock, trackside readers will be installed at stations and key points along the tracks to read the tag from a distance of about two meters and transmit the wagon identity over a network to a central computer. With the introduction of RFID, the issue of shortage of wagons, locomotives and coaches is expected to be addressed in a more transparent and expeditious manner.
The Indian Railways has approximately 225,000 wagons, 50,000 coaches and 9,000 locomotives and has sanctioned Rs 570 millions (EUR 8.1 million) for the first phase of rollout of the system. The RFID tag designed by the Centre for Railway Information System (CRIS) is estimated to cost Rs 1000 (EUR 14.2) per unit.
The Indian Railways has already implemented the RFID system on the Vishakhapatnam-Talcher-Paradeep section as a pilot project.
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