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Trains in India are about to take a major technological step forward. The Indian Railways have begun implementing a new program called Real-Time Train Information System (RTIS), using GPS tracking technology. Trains are not exactly a new technology. Transportation has seen many improvements since the train, including the obvious jets and airplanes.

However, this technology remains quite useful and relevant in the modern age. Traveling by train is typically quite a bit cheaper than flying, and in some places, trains are still the best way to get to your destination. One of the ways trains have remained so useful, is that they are periodically upgraded with new advices in technology. GPS tracking is simply the latest technology to be implemented in train travel.

Unlike some of the other technological make-overs that the train has seen, such as coal and steam engines to combustable engines, GPS tracking doesn’t improve the speed or cost of travel. It does, however, greatly improve the travelers experience. One problem that many travelers run into are train delays. Delays happen with just about any mode of transportation, and trains are no exception.

The RTIS is expected to hugely improve on the Indian Railway’s existing Train Running Information System, which mostly works on estimated arrival times. As the name suggests, the RTIS allows travelers to view the real-time location of trains, and have access to more accurate information about their train’s arrival.

The RTIS was co-developed by Lucknow, the Research Design and Standards Organization (RDSO), and Kanpur, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). A few trains have already implemented the new system, and reports say that it is working successfully so far. Passengers of these trains now have access to their train’s location, whether or not the train is running on time, and if it’s late, then by how much. The system also provides information about the distance each train is in kilometers in respect to the next stop. RTIS will be adding trains in waves, and is expected to be completed by December of 2012.

Article Written by Marisa O’Connor