Southern Railway Hits 100% Automatic Signalling on GQ-GD!

Southern Railway has successfully implemented 100% automatic signalling across all double-line routes within the Golden Quadrilateral and Diagonal (GQ-GD) network—a major milestone in modernising India’s railway signalling infrastructure and enhancing operational efficiency and safety.

The GQ-GD network connects the four major metros—Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata—along with their diagonal routes. Automatic signalling on these high-traffic corridors enables faster train movement, better utilisation of track capacity, and improved punctuality. Southern Railway has now completed automatic signalling over 2,665 route kilometres, with the final stretch commissioned between Chinnaganjam and Karavadi stations on the Vijayawada–Gudur main line in Andhra Pradesh.

With this achievement, Southern Railway joins other zones that have reached full automation on the GQ-GD network. The new Automatic Block Signalling (ABS) system replaces manual operations with technology such as track circuiting and axle counters to detect train presence, allowing safe movement of multiple trains within the same block section. This advancement significantly boosts line capacity and ensures safer, more efficient train operations—particularly vital in densely trafficked routes.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.