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Mamuni Das

Number of locations may go up to about 1,100

New Delhi , Jan. 10

The Railways may increase the scope of implementing freight operating information system (FOIS) in the next fiscal to about 1,100 locations from the current level of over 500.

Transit information

The system enables freight customers to obtain information regarding the status of their consignments in transit on a real-time basis.

Currently, only those locations are connected to the system that handle over ten rakes per month. The proposal is to connect other locations - which handle over five rakes per month with the system, according to official sources.

It is a system for management and control of freight movement that also assists Railway officials to optimise asset utilisation.

2 Modules

FOIS has two modules — the rake management system for handling trains and terminal management system pertaining to the commercial transactions at loading and unloading stations.

The operating system enables monitoring all freight trains indicating their position on the Web and their expected time of arrival at the destination.

Cargo handling

It also helps generate reports that show commodity-wise flow of freight trains for customers such as power houses, refineries, fertilisers and cement plants, steel depots and public freight terminals enabling the recipients of consignments to have accurate information on cargo arrivals, giving them adequate time to complete preparatory arrangement to handle the cargo.

In fact, some major customers of the Railways have been given paid access to the system.

The Railways also plan to provide FOIS access to new container operators on a paid basis to track container movements.

Details regarding when a wagon is detached from a train are recorded as well to track the location of wagons.

The system also helps generate reports regarding he availability of rolling stock — wagons and locomotives — at any point of time to help plan for an efficient utilisation.

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