Trains running better with SMS

The operations of the Railway Department have been facilitated, bringing comfort both to the department and commuters, thanks to a new ICT solution initiated by ICTA recently.
This latest ICT facility added to the railway currently in its 144th year - since the first train steamed out of Colombo to Ambepussa on December 27, 1864 - is based on the Short Messaging System (SMS).
The new system is working successfully and the core reason for the success lies in the facility to pass on information instantaneously to top railway officials including the Minister, ICTA and railway sources emphasised.
Called the Railway Short Message System (RSMS) the new system is used for instantaneous communication of information at times of special incidents including delays, collisions and derailments and opening of new stations.
“RSMS is used for instantaneous solutions. RSMS helps a great deal in running the railway transport service efficiently,” Railways Operations General Manager G. R. G. Chandratileke pointed out. Speaking further the General Manager said that RSMS helped a great deal in running the railway transport service efficiently.
Explaining the working of the system Railway sources stated as follows: In this process the Controller ( Arrangements ) or the Sectional Train Controller ( Ex: Train Controller – Coastal Line ) sends a SMS to the predetermined group of officers (currently 30, with provision for increase in this number) including the Minister through the Mobile Service provider’s SMS Network. For this purpose a Computer Interface is used.
Then, once the SMS is seen, the relevant officers tend to take action. This has become very successful, a senior Railway official said. The system provides for the selection of the predefined standard message formats and change according to the requirements of the current message. For example, the Train Controller needs to add only the Train number, station, mileage, cause of the delay etc. on to the relevant spaces of the message. The system also provides for the viewing of the messages that has been sent to verify whether the message sent was correct.
ICTA Project Manager Rangana de Silva added that since this solution facilitated systematic communication of railway operation information, several advantages accrued both to the Railway Department as well as the railway commuters.