The Southern Railway is planning to upgrade the signaling system on the 102-km Ernakulam Junction-Vallathol Nagar rail corridor. The project, estimated at ₹145 crore, will be completed in 750 days using an EPC contract. The new automatic signal system, costing around ₹145 crore, is expected to increase the line's capacity by...
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three times. This is because trains will be able to operate one after another with signals placed every kilometer, unlike the current system where trains need to wait for a signal at the station. The new system will allow three trains to run between stations instead of just one, although the maximum speed will remain at 80 kmph. This upgrade, similar to systems used in Mumbai and Chennai, will reduce waiting times at platforms and eliminate the need to detain trains due to a lack of vacant platforms. This upgrade will allow for more trains on the line, potentially including short-distance MEMU trains connecting neighboring districts, but the existing infrastructure will remain the same.