• PAGE ONE
• INDEX
• HOME

Rlys' freight information system

THE computerised booking of railway tickets for passengers has made considerable progress in the past few years, so much so that one can book a ticket for undertaking a journey by train in any part of the country, even from remote Port Blair in the Andam ans. However, online booking is yet to take off in respect of goods, though a move is afoot to achieve this as early as possible.

The Freight Operation Information System, a computer-based tracking and tracing system, is now being introduced in the Northern Railway, on an experimental basis. Once the experiment succeeds, the system will be launched to cover all the Railways in due course. To start with, the system will apply to the engine of a goods train. This is because, in Indian Railways (IR), a freight train is identified by its engine, more specifically, by the number of the engine. Consequently, the FOIS should be able to t rack and trace each wagon.

But the computerised freight information system is not entirely a new concept in IR. The Container Corporation of India (Concor), a wholly-owned subsidiary of IR and engaged in storage, handling and movement of containers, both loaded and empties, mainly for exports, have already introduced the system for container movement between New Delhi and Mumbai, and New Delhi and Bangalore. -- Our Bureau