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How Train Changes Track: Many times when people travel by train, the question that comes to their mind is how the train changes its track. If it’s the loco pilots, how do they know which track to go on? Let us know the answer to this interesting question today.
There is steering in the car and wherever you feel like, you can turn the car with the handle and take it to another route or to another road. But have you thought about how the train is taken to another track? Many times people think that loco pilots who run trains do this work but it is not so.
Actually, the job of changing the track of the train is done by the computer operator, who sits in the control room. Loco pilots don’t do this. On which track the train will run, when to change the track, whether there is already any train on that track. It is the job of the control room to see all these things.
Nishant, former senior DCM of Ranchi Railway Division, says – Actually, loco pilots do not do this work because they do not know ahead of time which train is on which track. Even a small mistake can cause a serious accident. Every track is monitored through the control room. Which line is empty and where the line has to be changed, everything is controlled from there.
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When the track of a train has to be changed, a switch is installed on the track. This switch is connected to the main track. There is also a motor attached to this switch. When a command is given from the control room, the motor connects the switch to another track. With this the train easily moves to another track. When the train goes to another track, its speed remains slightly less.
The train driver (loco pilot) receives orders to change the route through signals. Switch points are controlled based on signaling system. When the train reaches a certain point, switch points are located based on the signal, due to which the train turns from one track to another.
Earlier, changing the railway tracks was done manually. But now GPS system is installed. Everything is operated by computer and no one can go to the control room just like that. There is an operator there who keeps an eye on the trains. Even if by mistake they have to go out for 5 minutes, they lock their control room and leave.
Nishant explains that actually, there are some switches in the control room to change the track of the train. In such a situation, if someone accidentally presses a switch here and there, it can cause a very heavy blender, for which there is no repair. That is why this room is quite confidential. Movement of anyone is prohibited here. Only that person remains who has duty and has all the responsibilities.





























