Signalling in the Railways is considered as one of the primary
arteries and is very unique to its operational system. With
corporate majors such as L&T and Reliance bagging major railway
projects, the Secunderabad-based Indian Railways Institute of Signal
Engineering and Telecommunication (IRISET) will soon be flagging
customised courses for these corporates. Besides, it is in the
process of wooing foreign railway personnel from Asia and Africa to
impart training in signalling and telecommunication systems.

The institute, which started in 1957, has over 12 laboratories, 14
well-equipped classrooms along with a technical library stocking
over 32,000 technical books and has been recognised by the Economic
and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (ESCAP). According to V
Balaram, director of the institute, there is lot of interest shown
by foreign railways to undergo training. With a modest start, it is
learnt that the first foreign railway trainee from Africa received
his training in June 1962. During 2005-06, about 20 foreign trainees
from Syria, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Tanzania, Turkey and Ghana have
undergone training in the institute. So far, 283 trainees from 19
foreign railways have undergone courses in the institute.

"Railway signalling and interlocking is very specific to the
Railways and there is constant upgradation and replacement of the
old signalling system. Hence, there was a need for a special
institution to train the manpower in signal engineering,'' he said.

Due to advancement in technology by optic fibre network, mobile
train radio communication, VoIP, Wi-Max, etc, the focus is more on
safety and speed thus bringing an onerous task on the volume of
traffic for the controllers of signals as well, he points out.
Moreover, railway signalling and telecommunication is not part of
any curriculum of any college or university, training in these areas
in India as well as in certain parts of Afro-Asian region is
imparted only at IRISET.

"With increasing economic growth, the single largest management
enterprise is streamlining its signalling operations, expecting more
revolutionary developments in the field of signalling and
telecommunication,'' he said, adding that signalling is not just an
overhead alignment. Neither a bed of roses to move along the
technology transition which was early semaphore signalling (early
form of signalling) to multiple aspect colour lifting systems.

From a modest beginning of training around 150 persons in a year in 10
courses, IRISET is now training more than 2,000 persons in 114 courses
in a year. Since its inception, about 50,000 trainee
officers and supervisors of Indian Railways have received trainings
in various courses in the institute. Meanwhile, PSUs such as NTPC,
KRCL, Rail Tel, IRCON etc, engaged in rail transportation activities
and private sector firms like Satyam Computers, HBL Nife, Infotech
Enterprises etc, which are connected with manufacture and supply of
equipment and systems and software development in railway
signalling, were also trained at the institute. It conducts
integration courses in modern technology like electronic
interlocking, automatic warning system, optical fiber communication,
mobile train radio etc. In terms of faculty, there are over 48
faculty members consisting of both gazetted and non-gazetted
facility.

Of late, IRISET has expanded its activities from the conventional
training systems by setting up an e-learning centre. This will
facilitate anywhere and anytime for an interactive learning.

The centre will be a central repository of all signalling and
telecom content. With the e-centre in place, all the zonal signal
and telecommunication training centers are connected with IRISET.

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/IRISET-to-flag-off-customised-
courses--woos-foreign-rly-personnel-for-training/345500/