Practical Training Report on

SIGNALING AND COMMUNICATION AT RAILWAYS

Training taken from
(11 june -26 july 2019)

Site of Training
Northern Railway
Divisional Railway manager Office-New Delhi
Delhi-110055

Submitted by
DHRUV GOEL
([email protected])

FINAL YEAR- ELECTRONICS & COMM. ENGG.

JAMIA MILLIA ISLAMIA
(A central University)
New Delhi-110025
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Any collateral activity cannot be truly finished without the help &
enthusiasm of the supervisors involved. Additional technical assistance
throughout the training period. The technical details of the various
technologies ongoing in their department. It has been a pleasure working
with the DRM,new delhi in the enhancement of my technical knowledge. I
owe gratitude to many individuals involved in the development of this
report.
PREFACE

Engineering students gain theoretical knowledge only through books. Only

theoretical knowledge is not sufficient for absolute mastery in any field.
Theoretical knowledge in our books is not of much use without knowing
its practical implementation. It has been experienced that theoretical
knowledge is volatile in nature; however practical knowledge imparts solid
foundation in our mind. To accomplish this aspect, jamia millia islamia,
new delhi has included training for students ofB.Tech. III Year of 30 days
in our curriculum.

We have covered in this report the history ,latest developments in Railway

electronic interface as well as related fields. We have studied the various
uses of EC in railways like railway signaling, exchange, PAE, rail-
net,UTS,etc

This report is infact a summary of, what I have learnt and seen during my
training in “Railway Organization.” Succeeding chapters give details what
I have learnt in Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Office,new delhi.

DHRUV GOEL
(JAMIA MILLIA ISLMIA)
Electronics & Comm. Engg.
Signalling:
Advanced Signalling Systems viz., complete track circuiting, Multiple
Aspect Colour Light Signalling (MACLS), Panel/Route Relay/Electronic
Interlocking, Last Vehicle Check by Axle Counter are deployed on IR for
safe and efficient train control and optimum utilization of line capacity. A
major thrust has been given for provision of LED based signals, track
circuiting and replacement of signalling gears at block stations. On Board
Train Protection System, Train Management System etc., have also been
introduced on IR.

To attain self-sufficiency in meeting the increased demand for electronic

system of signalling, IR’s Signal Workshops on Central, Eastern, North
Eastern, Southern and South Central Railways have been manufacturing
items like Axle-Counters, Electric Point Machines, various types of relays,
Tokenless Block Instruments, etc.

Telecommunication:
Telecommunication plays an important role in train control, operation and
safety. With the rapid growth in telecommunication technology, IR has
decided to go for the state-of-the-art nationwide telecom network for
meeting its communication needs and earning revenue by exploiting
surplus capacity commercially. With this objective, RailTel, a Railways’
Public Sector Undertaking was formed in September, 2000.

As on 31st March 2012, 40,332 route kilometres of Optical Fibre Cable

has been commissioned that is carrying Gigabits of traffic. Railway
Control Communication which is quintessential for train operation and
control is also being transferred to OFC system. Till date, control
communication on 37,389 route kilometres has been shifted on OFC
system. RailTel is significantly contributing in building National
Knowledge Network.It is also planning to provide Broadband connectivity
to the Panchayats through OFC network.
IR has decided to adopt Global System of Mobile Communication – Railways
(GSM-R) based Mobile Train Radio communication. It has already been
provided on 1,710 route kilometres and is being extended in other sections.
IR has established its own Satellite hub to facilitate connectivity for the
remote Freight Operations Information System (FOIS) locations and
Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS), Disaster Management System as well as
for other critical communication system. Besides, IR works use 13,116
data circuits that power its various data and voice networks across the
country. IR has also established its Multi-Protocol Level Switching
(MPLS) based Next Generation Networks (NGN) for voice traffic which
has been used to interconnect more than 100 exchanges of railways
carrying the administrative voice traffic.

Common User Group (CUG) mobile phones have also been hired to
enable communication while on move to enhance safety, reliability and
productivity. IR is also using 1.2 lakh VHF walkie-talkie sets to ensure
safety and enhance reliability.

IR has also started the Real Time Train Information System under which
the train running information is being made available to public on a real
time basis. Now this project covers 36 trains and work is in progress to
cover all trains with this facility.
 CONTROL

DATA LOGGER/TRAIN MONITORING SYSTEM

It monitors the movements of trains within the control section from remote
control room and graphically simulates online Status of the multiple
stations in LCD Monitors.

Technically,a data logger is any device that can be used to store data,
includes many devices such as plug-in boards or serial communication
systems.Data logger device can read various types of electrical signals and
store the data in internal memory for later download to a computer.

The advantage of data loggers is that they can operate independently of a

computer. Data loggers are available in various shapes and sizes, powerful
programmable devices capable of handling hundreds of inputs. Data
logging is now a standard technique within railway signaling engineering
for both safety and performance management purposes. Data logging
facilitates the past analysisof any event . Data loggers facilitates the
continuous monitoring of track, trains,etc. the features are-

*Online Graphical Display of Status of all the Board Station.

*Online Status of all auto sections for effective planning and monitoring of
train movements.
*Online status of various assets like points, signals, crank handles,Gates,
Axle Counters,
*Route Relays and Knobs.
*Route Set Indication.
*Details of Train like Train No. / Name passing through a station.
*Details of train(s) in auto section.

RELIABILITY: Contained within the unit is a fully functional

Uninterruptible Power Supply giving sixhours of battery backup in the
case of mains failure.Low power consumption means that no cooling fan is
required, which means there are no dust filters to clean or moving
mechanical parts to fail.
SAFETY: The Delphi, has been designed specifically to safe railway
signaling applications. All digital and analog input channels are opto
isolated to minimum 1kV.

DATALOGGER BASED COMPUTERISED TRAIN CHARTING

(TC)

Data loggers are networked as per control sections..Since the information

of the vital relays is available at Control Office, It is possible to track a
train and to chart the train movement automatically.The system is not only
track the train but also predict the train movement for thenext few hours
based on the train information & charting .All the Data loggers are
connected through existing RE telecom cable in series to FEP. The FEP of
the Data logger Network is connected to the servers through a computer
containing NMDL software with Train charting logics. The client software
is provided for viewing the chart / data.

ACTIVE CLIENT is maintained by ATNL who has the control over the
train movements and is connected to the server through LAN. At any time,
active Client can control the train movement charting. Active Client can
feed the Train information as shown in.

PASSIVE CLIENT is used to view the chart anywhere from the network,
the chart available at thisclient is unchanged and cannot be modified. Any
number of passive clients can view thetrain chart by connecting to the
server.

Features of TC

*Auto tracking of train on real time, Online Plotting of chart.

*Charting of train from starting to destination point.
*Alarm generation & tracking of any new train entered in the section
automatically.
*Transparent Control system. Anyone can control chart in control office on
LAN
ADVANTAGE TC

*Controller can devote more time on the planning .

*Plotting is on Real time. No human involvement to plot the train so more
accurate.Online loop occupancy position .

LIMITATIONS OF TC

*Network comm. media should work perfectly to maintain on-line status.

*All the stations of the control section should be equipped with Data
logger.
*Train controllers should have basic computer knowledge.
*Continuous track circuiting required.
Real-time Train Information System for Indian
Railways
Project Overview:

Automatic acquisition of train movement data on Indian Railways is a key

requirement for improving operational efficiency and quality of passenger
information. This requirement gained greater significance after
implementation of ICT based Control Office Application (COA) on all
divisions of Indian Railways. Accordingly, Railway Board sanctioned a
work “Real-time Train Information System (RTIS)”.

The project is being executed by Centre for Railway Information Systems

(CRIS) in collaboration with ISRO. The trials for this system using GSAT
series satellite have been done on New Delhi-Guwahati (NDLS-GHY) and
New Delhi-Mumbai (NDLS-BCT) Rajdhani routes jointly by CRIS and
SAC/ISRO. The trials have been done to ascertain the overall workability
of the system, assessment of S/C bandwidth required on GSAT
transponders and for finalization of system design & specifications for the
rollout. Several successful trial runs were done and now the system is to be
rolled out on Indian Railways.

The roll-out of RTIS system shall be phased out appropriately. Indian

Railways has about 5500 electric locomotives, 6500 diesel locomotives
and 3000 EMU/ MEMU/DMUs. About 600 locomotives are added every
year. Passenger carrying electric locomotive sheds serving the golden
quadrilateral and diagonals except Mumbai – Chennai corridor and freight
electric locomotive sheds serving the Delhi –Mumbai and Howrah –
Chennai corridors shall be covered in Phase-1.
The application software in loco device shall determine train movement
events i.e. Arrival, Departure, Run-through at stations based on pre-
defined logic applied on spatial coordinates and speed received
continuously from GAGAN receiver. These events along with locations
updates shall be communicated to a Central Location Server (CLS) using
S-MSS as well as 4G/3G mobile data service. The CLS processes the
received data and relay it to Control Office Application (COA) for
automatic plotting of control charts.

As COA is already integrated with National Train EnquirySystem (NTES),

accurate real-time information for passengers will get enabled
automatically as a by-product. LMCS Software shall be utilized to monitor
the health of loco device, managing its configuration & updating the
software/firmware in the loco device. Emergency messaging between Loco
driver and control office shall also be implemented through RTIS.

Benefits of RTIS:

*Automatic capture of train running Information & automatic plotting of

Control Charts in COA
*Stress free work conditions for train controllers
*Optimum utilization of resources
*Accurate train running information to passengers
*Improved Customer Services
*Richer MIS for management
 RAIL-NET

MICROWAVE COMMUNICATION
The objective of microwave communication systems is to transmit
information from one place to another without interruption, and clear
reproduction at the receiver. Above 100 MHz the waves travel in straight
lines and can therefore be narrowlyfocused. Concentrating all the energy
into a small beam using a parabolic antenna( like the satellite TV dish)
gives a much higher signal to noise ratio.

MICROWAVE LINK can be one hop, consisting of one pair of antennas

spaced as little as one or two kilometers apart, or can be multiple hops,
spanning several thousand kilometers.

*A single hop is typically 30 to 60 km in relatively flat regions for

frequencies inthe 2 to 8 GHz bands. When antennas are placed between
mountain peaks, a very long hop length can be achieved. Hop distances in
excess is 200 km.

*The "line-of-sight" nature of microwaves has some very attractive

advantages over cable systems. It only describes microwave paths.

*Atmospheric conditions and certain effects modify the propagation of

microwaves so it may not be always possible to place antennas at given
points and achieve a satisfactory communication performance. In order to
overcome the problems of line-of-sight and power amplification of weak
signals, microwave systems use repeaters at intervals of about 25 to 30 km
inbetween the transmitting receiving stations.

*The first repeater is placed in line-of-sight of the transmitting station and

the last repeater is placed in receiving station.The data signals are received,
amplified & retransmitted by each of these stations.
RAILNET (RN)

The Indian Railways is Asia's largest and the world's second largest
rail network. For benefit of IT explosion,Indian Railways have established
a 'Corporate Wide Information System'(CWIS) called RAILNET .It
provides smooth flow of information on demand for administrative
purposes, which would enable taking quicker and better decisions.
Realising the important role that information plays in customer services
and in railways operations.

IVRS (INTERACTIVE VOICE RESPONSE SYSTEM)

The system in which,the info available in the computer is retrieved by the

user in the form of voice with the help of the interaction between
telephone and computer is known as IVRS.

*Each section control office is having a computer called DATA

ENTRYCOMPUTER along with dial up/lease line modem which is used
for linking the computer of other control offices directly.

*Each control office computer is identified as check / data entry point.

Information regarding the running of the train can be registered or checked
at every 15 minutes duration.

*At place where the information is to be retrieve through Telephone, an

another computer is linked with data entry computer called IVRS
COMPUTER, which is connected to data entry computer by ETHERNET
CARD. These computers read the information from data entry computer
and then convert it to voice for user purpose. It uses 3 softwares-

FRIENDLY USER SOFTWARE it is used to record the train schedule

timing information in data files.This software is having facilities-

*The system is secured by 3 stages of password facility.

*It is having the facility for data entry or removal of running/schedule
time.
*Entry for expected arrival/ departure of train
*Changes in the database for timetable; fare table etc.

*It restricts the entry of train after a specific period i.e.the file is deleted
for a train after 2 hours of its arrival; and deletes the files which are 48
hours old and reorganize the files.

*This software is having a facility to generate:

(a) Status of running train as per —According to train,According to control

office

(b) Information of train, when the train is late more than specific hours,
train graph

COMMUNICATION SOFTWARE: works on the principle of packet

switching in which each train file is developed in the form of packet along
with destination address. When a pop file is generated after every 15
minutes in data entry computer, then file is transferred to its queue
directory. When HUB computer is connected to data entry computer, HUB
searches the files from queue directory and then down load in its receive
directory and similarly the queue directory files available in HUB will be
received and stored by data entry computer. The comm. software is also
having the facility for CRC check (cyclic redundancy check) and receive
check. So in case of line failure or modem faulty, when the file could not
be exchanged, then HUB try to establish the link and if is not able, then it
will create alarm; and show link break.

The facilities of comm. software-

*Auto dialing facility for origination of transmission of information or

data.
*Having facility of auto pickup of file from remote queue directory.
*Facility of auto transfer of own file to remote/required place maintaining
periocity.
*It has facility to support WAN and is capable of interfacing with any type
of communication system like Internet,leased line.
*It is provided with the list of transmitted files and remaining files.
OLTRIS SOFTWARE- “ON LINE TRAIN RUNNING
INFORMATION used to changed the route of the train; accident of train;
abnormal delay/late of the train and so on. So the software is developed to
support all the abnormal activity. This software is having the following
facilities:

*It is having the facility to interact with both pulse and tone users.
*It is having a facility of FAX on demand, for that separate terminal is
provided.
*It is supporting and select more than one language.
*According to traffic, ports can be increased or decreased.
*It is having the facility of mailbox.
*It gives a report of no.of calls in 24 hours and the calls in a specific
period.

CONCERT (COUNTRY-WIDE NETWORK OF COMPUTERISED

ENHANCED RESERVATION & TICKETING):

IR fully automated PRS software, is based on client server architecture

interconnecting the regional computing system into a National PRS grid. It
allows passenger can book for a journey in any train from anywhere to
anywhere, cancellation/ refunds.

E-TICKETING CRIS (CENTRE FOR RAILWAY INFORMATION

SYSTEM):

It has developed the Internet ticketing solution launched by IRCTC.The

effort involved interfacing the IRCTC front end with backend PRS
Alphaservers, writing procedures for search and queries at the backend,
ticket printing on existing clients & accounting software.

UTS (UNRESERVED TICKET SYSTEM):

UTS is the complete solution for computerised unreserved ticketing from

dedicated counter terminals and replaces manual Printed Card
Tickets/Excess Fare Tickets/Blank Paper Tickets.
IVRS (INTERACTIVE VOICE RESPONSE SYSTEM):

IVRS is a telephonic enquiry system which information such as Passenger

Name Record (PNR) enquiry, Train Arrival/Departure enquiry through
NTES, and Berth availability position in any train, in multiple languages.

NTES (NATIONAL TRAIN ENQUIRY SYSTEM):

It provides current status information about any passenger train in the

entire Indian Railways Entries are made regarding running of train every
half an hour at various locations including divisional headquarter all over
the Indian Railways. NTES is used by web enabled services and mobile
services for providing train info to the public.

RAILNET MIS

For running any business organisation, the efficiency of the MIS is very
important. The divisional offices, Zonal training institutes will be
connected to rail net in phase 3and finally to station, yards, shads etc. RN
comprises of

1 INTRA-NET- It is an digitized internal network allowing the railway

officers & staff to communicate.

2 INTER-NET- It allows user to get into a global comm. method and

global pool of knowledge, through www (World Wide Web) in a secured
manner.

TOOLS-

*E-Mail,EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)

*WWW
*FTP (File Transfer Protocol), TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)
OBJECTIVES

*Creation of Web pages.,E-mail.

*Voice-over IP,Video-conferencing
*Web-based application software development
*Web surfing (Browser usage for internet and intranet).

HARDWARE COMPONENTS
*‘Compaq’ Servers, ‘CISCO’ Routers, Switches & Hubs
* Structured cabling using UTP-Cat 5 cabling (10 MBPS) (Max distance
100m between)

RAILNET NETWORK COMPONENTS

A.SERVER:

A shared machine together with the software programs which handles

requests and distributes the network resources such as data files and printer
time both the machine and its software are jointly referred as the server

Server has following characteristics :

*motherboard of the server is entirely different from a normal PC

*It can be used with two processors of 500MHz.

*It contains 3 hard disks of 9GB, connected to motherboard through RAD

controller card

*A server should be able to implement security for its data.

*It contains Microsoft Back Office Server 4.01 software which comprises-

a)Microsoft NT.
b)Microsoft Back Office.
c)Site Management Server.
d)Proxy Software.
e)Service Network Administrator
f)Exchange Server.

B.ROUTER:

A router translates information from one network to another selecting the

best path to route a message, based o n t h e destination address and origin.
The router can direct traffic to prevent head-on collisions. Routers can
"listen" to the entire network to determine which sections are busiest, they
can avoid those sections until they clear up.

Routers can:
*Route messages between 2 protocols across fiber optics,coaxial,twisted
pair cabling

*Route messages between linear bus, star, and star-wired ring topologies.
C.SWITCH:

The switch is used to interconnect the Nodes. It is more complex and

versatile.They are active device with following points

*10Mbps, 100 Mbps, single-speed, or dual speed operation.

*Congestion control,means switch should have enough buffers to take care
of traffic.
*Segmentation of local network
*Speed up the local network. They are of 8,16 or 48 ports active terminal.

D.FIREWALL :

It is security purpose software,used to secure the server contents, so the

outsider cant temper the info, user can read the information but cannot
write anything.

E. HUB:

It is active junction box,used to connect the nodes and all the servers using
any type of cable (UTP, Coaxial etc). It contains a division of network
bandwidth.

The important parameters to be considered whole selecting are: -

*Support for dual-speed operations, auto switching

*Number and types of ports, UTP and BNC.

It can have a capacity of 8, 16 or 24 nodes and the maximum distance

between Hub and nodes is 100 Mt. If distance is more, then additional
HUB must be used (not more than 3).
 OPTICAL FIBER COMMUNICATION
Today's general demands to railway administrations all over the world are-
improved traffic regularity,more frequent departures & shorter travelling
times. to meet this demands it is has to expand the existing transmission
capacity for tele-communication and implement more flexible signal
interlocking systems.The telecommunication network has to operate with a
number of new services, such as-automatic train numbering, electronic
reporting and passenger information, freight control etc.

COMMUNICATION MEDIA:-

The communication links making up the data network may be over a

combination of any of the following media-

*OFC
*Digita & analog MW, IP Radio links
*VSAT, Twisted pair copper
*feasible wireless LAN (WiFi)

The earlier networks were non-IP based &

worked at speeds of 9.6 Kbps. Presently
networks are mostly IP based, operate at speeds of 2Mbps at the core &
distribution levels and 64 kbps at the access level.In a centralized system
as in FOIS

*CORE LEVEL comprises the communication links between

CRIS(Centre for Railway Information System).

*DISTRIBUTION LEVEL comprises the communication links between

zonal Hqrs. And divisions and connect the division to the activity centres .
In a distributed system as in PRS, the computers at the 5 metro cities are
connected in a mesh topology and form the core network. The network
connecting the 5 locations to other zonal headquarters and divisional
headquarters forms thedistribution layer and the connections from the
zonal/divisional headquarters to theother locations forms the access
network.
NETWORK SECURITY:

Data sent by the sender should be received only by the intended eceiver.
This is achieved through encryption at various levels. The various data
encryption standards are IP sec. DES, 3DES, AES, private/public key etc.

OPTICAL FIBER TELECOMMUNICATION FOR RAILWAY

UTILITY

A modern telecom network for railway utility must be able to handle

advanced remote control centres, digital telephone exchanges , train radio
systems and the extensive development of central and local data systems.
Therefore, it is recommended to apply digital PCM transmission
equipment, using optical fibers as transmission media. this kind of
telecommunication networks are the lowest ablishing costs compared to its
enormous capacity. For eg, an 8 or 12 fiber cable is able to handle all to-
day known railway transmission requirements and even more. The
transmission network is immune to electromagnetic disturbances in
connection with electric railway traffic.

In optical fiber telecom systems, primarily monomode fibers are used

today, providing anextremely high bandwidth (300GHz km) and a verylow
attenuation (0.2 dB/km). Fibers are also used for illumination, and are
wrapped in bundles so they can be used to carry images, thus allowing
viewing in tight spaces, including sensors and fiber lasers applications.

An optical fiberis a thin, flexible, transparent fiber that acts as a waveguide

or “light pipe”, to transmit light between the two ends of the fiber. Optical
fibers are widely used in fiber-Optic communications which permits
transmission over longer distances and at higher (data rates) than other
forms of communication. Fibers are used instead of metal wires because
signals travel along them with lessloss & are also immune to
electromagnetic interference.
OFC COMMUNICATION NETWORK AT IR

IR Visionis to tap revenue generation potential in the telecom and IT

sector, using the 64,000-km long 'right of way' for laying optic fibres,
signalling towers & other infrastructure assets that Indian Railways owns.
OFCs are laid down along the track. This will be done in collaboration
between the RailTel Corporation & private sector companies in a
transparent framework.

The advantages of using OFCs over conventional copper cables include:

*free from EMI and RFI making it especially useful in electrified areas.
*supports low bit-error rate digital communication .
*very high traffic carrying capacity
*negligible cross-talk between channels, high speech quality.

JOINTING AND TERMINATION OF OFC TECHNIQUES

1.MECHANICAL SPLICE: This align the axis of the two fibres to be

joined and physically hold them together.

2.FUSION SPLICING: This is done by applying localized heating ( by

electric arc /flame) at the interface between the butted, pre-aligned fibre
end,causing them to soften & fuse together.

Following steps are involved for jointing of the cable:-

*Preparation of cable for jointing

*Stripping/cutting the cable
*Preparation of cable and joint closure for splicing
*Stripping and cleaving of fibres
 PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM
Introduction
Public Address System (PA system) is an electronic sound amplification and
distribution system with a microphone, amplifier and loudspeakers, used to
allow a person to address a large public, for example for announcements of
movements at large and noisy air and rail terminals.

The simplest PA system consist of a microphone, an amplifier, and one or

more loudspeakers. A sound source such as compact disc player or radio may be
connected to a PA system so that music can be played through the system.

The process begins with a sound source (such

as a human voice), which creates
waves of sound (acoustical energy).

These waves are detected by a microphone,

which converts them to electrical energy. This
signal is amplified in an amplifier up to a
required level. The loudspeaker converts the
electrical signal back into sound waves, which
are heard by human ears.

Application of P.A. system in Railways

Passenger Amenity

For giving the detailed information about the train arrivals, departures, late running
if any, and location of trains and any other important information related to Railway
users.

Marshalling Yards

For communication between Yard Master and Shunting men through paging
and talk‐back system regarding formation and reception or dispatch of trains.
Breakdown train Emergency Equipment

The P.A. System in Accident Relief Train must be kept in working condition for
guide the passengers and staff in rescue operations at the site of accident.

Special functions

Local Minister, G.M., etc., officials and VIPs may address some important functions
such as Railway Week, felicitations, Scouts and Guides rally, some social work
meetings, cultural programmes etc. a quality P.A. System needs to be installed.

Railway Workshops

Providing announcements to workshops staff when required and also for

entertainment music during lunch hours.

Conferences

For conducting seminars, special lectures, administrative meetings for a limited

group of officials in conference halls. In every zone, a G.M. Conference hall
is available. In these suitable conference systems were permanently installed.

2. Acoustic

Acoustics is defined as the "Scientific Study” of Sound, especially of its

generation, propagation, perception and interaction with materials and is further
described as the "total effect of sound” especially as produced in an enclosed space.

2.1 Intensity

This relates to amplitude of acoustic force. It is expressed in watts per square

centimeter. The acoustic power is inversely proportional to the reverberation period
for a given intensity level.

2.2 Sensitivity

A speaker’s sensitivity is the on‐axis loudness (dB SPL) measured at a

specific distance that results from applying a specific amount of power (1 Watt @ 1
meter).The output level of the speaker at different power levels and distances
can be calculated from this figure. For example: If a speaker’s sensitivity is
rated at 96 dB SPL with a 1 W input measured at 1 mt from the speaker, then
doubling the power to 2 W raises the output 3 dB to 99 dB SPL at 1 mt. Doubling the
power again to 4 W produces 102 dB SPL
2.3 Sound Pressure Level

Sound Pressure Level (SPL) is the acoustic pressure reference for the dB. The
minimum threshold of undamaged human hearing is considered to be 0 dB SPL. The
threshold of pain for undamaged human hearing is 120 dB SPL.

2.4 Loudness

It is the intensity of the sound stimulus as perceived by the human ear and chiefly a
function of sound pressure. However, it is also dependent upon the frequency and
the complexity of the waveform. The extra high‐frequency content makes the sound
seem louder. Our ears do not hear all frequencies equally. They are most sensitive at
around 3‐4 kHz, and much less sensitive at the extremes of frequency.

Effectively, ears will turn down the volume and mute the damaging highest
frequencies if the concert is too loud. However, any sound system can damage
hearing if you get your ears close enough and drive it hard enough for long enough.

Definition

A microphone is an example of a transducer, a device that changes information from

one form to another. Sound information exists as patterns of air pressure; the
microphone changes this information into patterns of electric current.

*Types of microphones

Carbon Microphone

The carbon microphone is consisting of two metal plates separated by granules

of carbon. One plate faces outward and acts as a diaphragm. When sound waves
strike this plate, the pressure on the granules changes, which in turn changes the
electrical resistance between the plates. (Higher pressure lowers the resistance
as the granules are pushed closer together.) The change in contact resistance
causes a current from a battery connected in series with the carbon button and the
primary of a transformer to vary in amplitude, resulting in a current waveform similar
to the acoustic waveform striking the diaphragm. One of the main disadvantages
of the carbon microphone is that it has continuous high frequency hiss caused by
the changing contact resistance between the carbon granules.
Wireless or Cordless Microphone

A wireless microphone is a microphone without a physical cable connecting it

directly to the sound recording or amplifying equipment with which it is associated.
It has a small, battery‐powered radio transmitter in the microphone body,
which transmits the audio signal from the microphone by radio waves to a nearby
receiver unit, which recovers the audio.

The other audio equipment is connected to the receiver unit by cable. Wireless
microphones are widely used in the entertainment industry, television broadcasting,
and public speaking to allow public speakers, interviewers, performers, and
entertainers to move about freely while using a microphone to amplify their
voices.

Advantages

*Greater freedom of movement for the artist or speaker.

*Avoidance of cabling stressing problems common with wired microphones.
*Reduction of cable "trip hazards" in the performance space

Disadvantages

*Some wireless systems have a shorter range, while more expensive models
can exceed that distance.
*Possible interference with or, more often, from other radio equipment or
other radio microphones.
*Operation time is limited relative to battery life.
Specifications of microphones.

*Type:

This specifies the microphone whether it is a Dynamic, Ribbon, Capacitor or Crystal

and also specifies whether it is a Pressure gradient or Pressure Operated.

*Sensitivity:

It is the amount of voltage developed or generated by the microphone for an applied

sound pressure at a test frequency of 1000 Hz. It is generally specified as
mV/Microbar. One‐microbar sound pressure is equal to 1 dyne/cm2. It is also
specified as mV/Pa where Pa is Pascal, which is equal to 10 microbars.

* Frequency Response:

It is the ability of a microphone to produce a proportionate output to the

sound pressure applied for the specified range of frequencies. The frequency
response is distorted when the microphone is kept too close to the mouth. It
generates spherical sound waves with very high impact pressure when the
distance from the mouth increases the spherical sound waves flatten and
become plane waves. So the distortion diminishes with distance.

*Maximum Sound Pressure Level:

It is the maximum Sound Pressure level that can produce a proportional output with
a total harmonic distortion limited to 1%.

*Impedance:

It is the impedance offered by the microphone at 1000 c/s. There are low impedance
and high impedance microphones. Low Impedance means less than 600 ohms High
Impedance means more than 10K ohms.

*Minimum Load Impedance:

It is the minimum input impedance of the amplifier, which is used to utilize

the microphone. The amplifier input impedance should not be less than the
minimum load impedance of the microphone specified.
Loudspeaker

Criteria for determining the loudspeakers required ‐The number of

loudspeakers, their location, height, direction and the power input to the
loudspeakers installed will have to be decided with the object of maintaining
the intensity of reproduced sound above the local prescribed noise level so that the
masking effect of noise over the signal could be reduced considerably.

*The loudspeakers used should have adequate power handling capacity and
should normally be of high efficiency type.

*Loudspeakers used for "A" Category reproduction should have effective

frequency range of 100 to 10,000 Hz. (The response of the speaker system
within the environment after installation should be considered as the effective
frequency response). For this reproduction, directional type of loudspeakers
(column) should be used.

The vertical directivity pattern of the system should be such as to feed the audience
at uniform level, avoid harmful level, reverberant sound or echo, and feedback
of energy to the microphones. In the horizontal plane, the directivity should be
uniform across the width of the hall.

*Column type loudspeakers

*Column loudspeakers are ideal for obtaining the vertical directivity pattern.
The height of column and number of speakers in it determine the directivity. A
wide range of high quality reproduction may be obtained by employing
multiunit type, wherein the whole frequency range will be covered by two or
three groups of speakers arranged in separate columns, but mounted close to
each other and connected through a properly designed dividing network.

*The directivity pattern of such speakers should be such as to provide

sufficient intelligibility at all points of the seated area and avoid feed back to
microphone, dead spot and echo.

*For best results, the column loudspeakers shall be installed vertically at a height of
1.5 m above the platform level and inclined at an angle of 8 degree to 10
degree towards the ground.

*For "B" Category reproduction, the loudspeaker should have useful response
from 100 to 7,500 Hz. Cabinet/horn type loudspeakers should be adequate for
such purposes.
*Cone type loudspeakers with wooden/metal cabinets ‐Cone type loudspeakers
of appropriate power output may be used in comparatively quiet covered areas
like waiting rooms, retiring rooms, etc.

*Horn type loudspeakers ‐Horn type loudspeakers are suited to open platform
and large halls with high roofs. They shall be so placed and their size so chosen that
their radiation may not be in opposition and also the reflections from the roof and
walls are avoided. An electrical filter to cut off low frequencies may be used with the
line matching transformer to avoid damage to the voice coil at low frequencies.
Cables & Connectors

Connection Cable CC‐46 Expansion Cable CC‐47

Connection cable terminated with 8-

pin female plugs on both end Extension cable terminated with 8-
pin female at one end and 8-pin male
plug at other end

6.3mm (1/4 inch) Stereo Phone plug Pin 1: +Ve Supply

Pin 2: -Ve Supply
Pin 3: Mic Auto Off
Pin 4: Signal Out
Pin 5: Signal Out
Pin 6: Signal IN
Pin 7: Signal IN
Pin 8: Priority
Nationwide Broadband Optic Fibre Cable (OFC) Telecom
Network:

With the change in telecommunication technology, IR has decided

to go for a state-of-the-art, nationwide telecom network for meeting its
communication needs and earning revenue by exploiting surplus
capacity commercially. With this objective in mind, RailTel, a Public
Sector Undertaking, was formed in September, 2000.

Of the 42,000 route kms. of Optic Fibre Cable (OFC) network that has
been planned for commissioning by 2008, more than 28,100 route kms. of
OFC has been laid already. OFC connectivity between four Metros and
four mini Metros has been established and 203 other important cities have
also been connected. So far 2,717 stations have been connected over the
OFC network. RailTel has upgraded their network by providing the latest
state-of-the-art Multi Protocol Level Switching (MPLS) network. Apart from
modernizing the IR’s telecom network, RailTel has started earning revenue
by marketing surplus bandwidth and other infrastructure to other service
providers like AirTel, Vodafone, Tata, BSNL and financial entities like
State Bank of India, etc.

Railways have also planned to provide 82 Cyber Cafes in the first

phase of which 24 railway stations have already been provided with
Cyber Cafes. Apart from this, 50 stations will also be provided with
Wi-Fi/Wi-Max facility.

Mobile Train Radio Communication (MTRC):

Global Service Mobile (GSM) based MTRC system is being introduced on

’Á’, ‘B’ & ’C’ routes of IR for communication between train crew and
stationary operating staff such as Station Masters, Controllers, field
maintenance staff, etc. Works for over 3,200 route kms. have been
sanctioned on Northern, North Central, Eastern, East Central and
Northeast Frontier Railways. Works on Eastern and Northeast Frontier
Railways have been completed and are under trials.

Railways’ V-SAT Hub:

IR is planning to commission its own V-SAT hub at New Delhi to facilitate
connectivity from the remote FOIS locations using V-SAT terminals.
Presently, about 200 remote sites are planned for connectivity. V-SAT
system has the potential to meet voice and data communication
requirements of remote locations that are lacking in telecom infrastructure.

Switching and Data Network:

Railways are replacing old analogue exchanges with digital electronic

exchanges to improve quality of switching and to reduce the maintenance
efforts. During the year, a total of 8,922 subscribers were connected to
digital electronic exchanges bringing the total subscribers to 2,94,214.

All zonal and divisional exchanges of IR are being integrated for seamless
connectivity with uniform STD scheme for improved services by
providing 2 MB connectivity. Broadband connectivity of 2 Mega Byte Per
Second (MBPS) or more is being increasingly provided between divisional
and zonal headquarters to establish high speed link needed for various IT
applications like Railnet, PRIME, AFRES, MIS, etc.

To improve reliability and to effect savings, data circuits required for on-
line applications like PRS, UTS and FOIS are being progressively
transferred to Railway’s own OFC network.

Passenger Amenities:

With a view to provide improved passenger amenities, Train Indication

Boards at, 1,055 stations, Public Address System at 3,081 stations and
Coach Guidance Boards at 141 stations have been installed. In addition,
Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) has also been provided on 509
locations. Integrated Train Enquiry System with unique number 139 was
also commissioned during the year to provide information to the traveling
public in respect of all train movement and reservation related queries.
TELEPHONE EXCHANGE & TRUNK
EXCHANGE
9.1 EXCHANGES :

9.1.1 All Telephone Exchanges shall be

* Automatic
* Electronic
* Digital
* Stored Programme Controlled (SPC)
* Pulse Code Modulation (PCM, Time Division Multiplexing (TDM)
technology.

9.1.2 The exchanges shall be Transit cum Local Exchanges providing

connectivity between:

* Subscriber to Subscriber
* Subscriber to trunk
* Trunk to Subscriber
* Trunk to trunk

9.1.3 Separate trunk Automatic Exchange shall be provided at Zonal

Railway Headquarter for Indian Railways Network. The transit functions
at other places shall be integrated in the Local-cum-Transit Exchange.

9.1.4 The manual trunk connections shall be provided through Operate

consoles. The Operator Console shall be an integral part of the Exchange.
Separate manual trunk exchange are not required to be provided.

Attendant Consoles :

The attendant consoles which replaces the Trunk Boards shall be an

integrated part of the exchange. This shall assist the trunk operator to
provide Trunk connections. Facility shall exist to monitor the calls. Busy
indication of the trunk shall be available.
Head phones shall be provided with Attendant console.
9.1.6 Subscriber Telephone Set :

All telephones shall be push button type. The signalling may be decadic or
DTMF type. The telephones shall be of the following type :

*Ordinary
*Secretary and Executive type
*Digital
*Magneto
*4 wire

*The IR (Indian Railway) exchange network is a hierarchical architecture

with 3 levels.

Highest level - Zonal Head Quarters (ZHQ) and Railway Board (RB)
Medium level - Divisional HQ (DHQ)
Lowest level - Important activity centres

*The exchanges shall be interconnected using manual trunks through

Trunk Operators or through Subscriber Trunk Dialing (STD) channels.
Where digital transmission system is planned, the ZHQ to DHQ and DHQ
to important location exchange shall be connected through high speed 2
MB/s (30 channel) trunk groups.

* All exchange shall be available on IR STD network subjected to

availability of channels. Each exchange shall have a distinct STD code.
Alternate routing shall be provided as far as possible.

* Wherever possible interconnection to DOT exchange shall be provided

through Direct Inward Dialing (DID) and Direct Outward Dialing(DOD)
facility. The traffic for such trunk lines shall be taken as 0.8 Erlang/Trunk
line and calculation of trunk lines shall be done accordingly.
9.2 SPECIFICATION & PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS

The digital exchanges shall be of the following basic capacity and shall be
modularly expandable.

128 port
256 ports
512 ports
1024 ports
2048 ports
4096 ports

The exchange shall have ports to connect subscribers with

Decadic phones
DTMF phones
Digital phones
Hot line
Long distance
lead line through any media of communication

*Trunk through all media of communication

(O/H, Cable, VHF, UHF, MW, OF)

* 2 MB/s or higher speed trunk ports shall be planned in the exchange for
high speed connectivity between exchanges.

The capacity of the exchange shall be defined with the following details :-

*Wire Capacity
*Equipped Capacity with signaling
*No. of subscriber ports- decadic/DTMF and digital phones.
*No of long distance subscriber, trunk ports with various type of signalling
*2 MB or higher speed trunk port.
*Ports for attendant console
The Architecture of the Exchange shall be with the following protection
arrangement.

a) Up to 128 ports

CPU and control cards -1 + 0 Configuration

Memory -1 + 0 Configurations
Power supply unit -1 + 1 hot Stand By (S/B)

b) Exchange with capacity higher than 128 ports

CPU and control card -1+1 hot Standby configuration & hot swappable
Memory -1+1 hot Standby configuration & hot swappable
Power supply card -1+1 hot Standby configuration & hot swappable

* The exchange shall be fully non-blocking.

The minimum BHCA (Busy Hour Call Attempts) for exchange shall be as
follows:-

Up to 128 port =20,000

Above 128 up to 256 port =50,000
Above 256 up to 512 port =1,00,000
Above 512 up to 1024 port =1,50,000

*The exchange software shall be loaded on hard disc or flash RAM for
operation as well as a back up copy must be available.

*The software must have self diagnostic feature and the failure must be
available as print out.

*The basic requirements of the protective device provided on MDF shall

be as under :

*It shall not decrease the efficiency of speech or signaling circuit.

*The device shall promptly operate in cases of the specified voltages or

currents being reached.
*The device shall promptly isolate the equipment and prevent further
damage in cases of overload due to artificial or natural causes.

*The current rating of the device shall be such that they do not produce
noticeable heat in the components of the main equipment.

*The prospective devices shall consist of fuse & lightning discharger. The
fuseshall be connected in series with each external line.
*The Integrated Protection Modules shall be provided in case of Krone
type connectors.

*The rating of the fuse shall be as per the requirement of exchange

equipment.

*The subscriber’s protective device assembly shall consist of a single

compact dust proof unit containing fuse and lightning arrester.

9.2.11 The Signalling used shall be :

*User line signalling

* Decadic dc loop/disconnect signalling

* DTMF signalling
* D-Channel protocol (ISDN)

*Inter Exchange Signalling

* 4W E&M
*4W digital (64 kbs)
*DC - loop/disconnect signalling
*R2 MFC (Indian version)
*CCITT Signalling system No.7 (Common Channel Signalling)
*Q-Sig for feature transparency
9.3 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

The various components of the exchange system shall be:

*Exchange hardware
*Exchange software
*Man Machine Interaction Terminal PC with Printer
*Test and measuring instruments
*Power supply Arrangement consisting of Batteries, Charger, Changeover
panel and stand-by system.
*Intermediate Distribution Frame
*Main Distribution Frame
*Protection arrangement
*Attendant consoles
*Cable (underground and switch board)
*Subscriber telephone set
*Maintenance tools
*Documentation
*Lightning protection and Earthing arrangement

~The exchange shall be worked with batteries on float. The capacity of the
batteries shall be to provide minimum 8 hours back up. One set of battery,
two chargers and a change over panel are to be provided for supplying
power supply to exchange. The capacity of power supply arrangement
shall be 30% higher than the exchange load. The charger shall be
preferably SMPS (Switch Mode Power Supply) type.

~The IDF (Intermediate Distribution Frame) shall have disconnecting type

connectors with facility for isolating exchange indoor and outdoor side.
The cable terminals shall be installed on a rack. Protection arrangement
shall be available on IDF. All testing for line side shall be done from IDF.
The IDF may be accommodated in exchange equipment room.

~All outdoor cable shall be terminated on a rack forming the Main

Distribution Frame (MDF). This shall provide connectivity between
outdoor cable and indoor switch board cable. The Main Distribution Frame
shall be installed in a separate room but not in the exchange room.
 An earth is connected across the frame for its entire length and preferably
this shall be a copper strip clamped to the frame.

9.3.6 Cables: The outdoor cables shall be jelly filled underground type.
The indoor cables shall be switch board cables. The outdoor cables shall be
20 pair, 50 pair and 100 pair capacity. The indoor cable shall be 5 pair, 10
pair, 20 pair and 50 pair.

Lightning protection and Earthing arrangement

The earthing arrangement shall be consisting of

- Earth pits minimum four with Earth electrodes connected in a ring
- Two earth wires connecting Earth Electrodes to Earth Distribution Frame
- Earth wires from each equipment to Earth Distribution Frame.

9.3.9 Electrical Supply :

230 V AC single phase shall be available. With power lines suitable for
taking the load, Alternate supply shall be provided either traction supply or
DG set. The power supply shall enter the room through MCB and
changeover switch with proper earthing arrangement.

The exchange equipment room shall be air conditioned. 22-25 degree C.

shall be maintained inside the room. 50% standby air conditioners shall be
provided. Lightning shall be adequate for maintenance.

All equipment shall be provided on racks. Mounting on the walls shall be

avoided. The equipment rack shall be minimum 1 meter away from the
wall. The racks shall be fixed on the floor with proper arrangement.
Underground ducts shall be provided for entry of UG cables.

Duct/overhead troughs shall be provided to run the indoor cables. In case

of UG cable entry the duct shall be filled with sand and plastered on the
top.
9.4 MAINTENANCE

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE

A) Daily

i) Batteries voltage and charger output voltage.

ii) AC supply voltage and charger output voltage.
iii) Cleaning of equipment rooms with vacuum cleaner and wiping of the
floor for all rooms.
iv) Failure list of the subscribers.
v) Testing of all the trunks (STD,OTD and other) circuits.
vi) Working of Lights, Air conditioners.
vii) System status listing
viii) Failure history list
ix) Alarm checking
x) Room temperature recording

B) Weekly

i) Specific gravity, voltage and load test of the batteries, sulphation of

terminals.

C) Monthly:

i) Wiring and connecting terminals of power supply arrangement.

ii) The different modes of operation of FCBC, the internal checking and
cleaning of FCBC.

iii) Earthing connections of all equipment and earth electrodes.

iv) All cabinets of equipment, Man machine interaction, terminal printer,

attendant consoles to be cleaned.
v) Cable termination MDF and IDF to be cleaned and checked.

vi) Cable runs-inter rack, rack to IDF, MDF and Attendant consoles to be
checked.
vii) Transmission loss test of all trunk circuits

viii) Office Data Back up to be updated.

ix) Checking of GD tubes

D) Quarterly:

i) Contact points of Attendant console to be cleaned with contact cleaner.

ii) Testing of All Service features from the Test Telephones.
iii)Cleaning of terminations in CT boxes, Location boxes.
iv) Adjustment of SMPS modules

E)Yearly:

i)Earth resistance value measurement

ii)Line loop resistance and insulation testing
iii)Checking of wiring of subscribers premises, CT boxes and location
boxes.
iv)Testing of spare cards
v)Analysis of load distribution among operators console
vi)System programme backup

9.4.2 Inspection:
The following are the details to be checked during routine Inspection.

a) Subscriber’s office
*CT boxes
*Wiring
*Lightning arrester
*Batteries/power supply arrangement

b) Cables/overhead alignment

*Type of cable and length

*Cable route conditions with special attention at culverts, bridges, road
*crossings, track crossing, building entry points.
*All registers pertaining to cable laying, testing
c) Exchange

*MDF/IDF wiring, connectors, terminals, fuses, GD tubes.

*Earth connections, Earth readings.
*Power supply arrangement, battery registers, battery terminals, wiring,
charger and power panel.
*Internal cabling, cabinets, visual inspection of wiring.
*Fault register

d) Periodical Inspection

i) All exchanges and other telephones installations shall be inspected and

tested, where necessary, by ASTE/DSTE/Sr.DSTE at least once a year.
Maintenance records and faults registers shall be checked for their
proper upkeep.

ii) Sr. Section Engineer Telecom should carry out detailed and effective
inspection and testing once in a quarter year and Junior Engineer(Tele)
once in a month.

9.4.3 Testing and Commissioning :

i) Cable/overhead line testing shall be conducted for each subscriber.

Insulation, loop resistance for cable/OH line is to be tested and
recorded.

ii) Provision of fuses, GD tubes are to be checked for all lines.

iii) The earth resistance for each earth electrode is to be measured. The
connectivity of earth wires to each equipment is to be checked.

iv) Hardware testing shall be conducted as per instructions of

manufacturer.

v) Software testing shall be done as per guidelines given by supplier.

9.4.4 Documentation :

The exchange shall have the following documentation :

a) Indoor Equipment

* Exchange layout plan

*Rack layout plan for each rack with connection details
*MDF and IDF termination plan
*Installation manual for equipment
*Software documentation
*Operation and maintenance manual
*Wiring diagram for power panel
*Manual for chargers

b) Outdoor Equipment :

*Telephone No. wise subscriber’s details

*Subscriber wise Telephone Directory
*Cable/Overhead layout plan
*Subscriber premises wiring plan typical.

The tools available in exchange shall consist of

*Screw drivers assorted

*Nose Plier
*Crimping tool
*Krone Extractor
*Cutter
*Soldering kit

The following test and measuring instruments shall be available in

exchange for testing and maintenance

*Line tester to test line conditions

*Megger for testing of insulation of line.
*Digital multimeter
*******