GPS to streamline Lankan Railways

The ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) and the Sri Lanka Railway Department (SLR) have jointly taken steps to use satellite technology to improve railway transport management.

It is hoped that the GPS/GSM units that will be installed in the trains will go a long way in offering a better train service to the people/ Photo credit: Sunday Times

ICTA and the SLR and gTrack Solutions Private Ltd. signed a MoU recently to use Satellite Technology that would greatly enhance the railway transport management in Sri Lanka.

This MoU to use the Global Position System (GPS) and the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) entailing satellite technology for more efficient train service management and more effective commuter satisfaction was signed at the Railway Department headquarters in Colombo last week.

ICTA Re-engineering Government Programme Director Vasantha Deshapriya said that as a result of the application of Satellite Technology as per the MoU anyone from anywhere would be able instantly to know where a train operating under the new technology is.

"When this project is implemented anyone will be able to avail himself/herself of the automatic display of where a train equipped with the said facility is at any given time. The commuter, actual or potential will be able to know instantly whether the train concerned will be on schedule, have a delay and if so the likely extent of the delay and make alternative plans accordingly. He or she will be able to have this information simply by using his/her mobile phone or internet," Deshapriya added.

"It is hoped that the GPS/GSM units that will be installed in the trains will go a long way in offering a better train service to the people. This should also greatly facilitate particularly the work of the railway transport operation staff," Railways General Manager P. P. Wijesekera said.

Referring to the timeframe of the project SLR Colombo Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) Palita Samarasinghe said that initially this project would be implemented on a trial basis with the new devices installed on a few trains for a short time. But within five months the new device will be in full operation with 50 units distributed among 80 trains, installations being effected according to requirements. 

"In addition Railway Operating Information System which is a major module in the railway information technology plan will also be developed and implemented along with this project," the CIO revealed.