The first phase of this Rs 28-crore project will be made functional between Churchgate and Bandra from August 1999, and the second between Bandra and Virar from April 2000. This system has been especially designed and supplied by Compaq Customs Systems Group (CCSG) to meet Western Railway's specific requirements.

The TMS is part of the project awarded by WR to Adtranz, a joint venture between Asea Brown Boveri and Daimler Benz. Adtranz has selected CCSG to provide the Alpha-based servers, operating system, networking facilities, and support services for the WR TMS. This will enable WR to dramatically streamline traffic flow, minimise bottlenecks and identify problems and failures on the Mumbai suburban rail network. Adtranz director of information technology Preben Elnefat said that the TMS envisages real-time displayof movement of all suburban trains at the central control at Mumbai Central on an eight-metre long wall display using a "rear video projection system." The central control room will be managed by eight WR personnel trained by Adtranz.

He said that the TMS also allows traffic controllers at Mumbai Central to quickly identify trains through a unique numbering system, assess the exact nature of problems and train failures, and take remedial action. The new TMS will provide for introduction of indicators at Mumbai suburban stations that will simultaneously display several levels for updated passenger information concerning the actual arrival time of the next two trains on platforms instead of just the scheduled arrival time.

Elnef said that the TMS allows for conference calls between traffic controllers through the local-access network. Controllers at all 28 boundary stations that fall within the jurisdiction of Mumbai Central will be able to monitor train movements simply by keying in the number allocated toany particular train. The automatic channel of information also encompasses a route-setting system which facilitates smooth flow of traffic over the Mumbai suburban rail network.