Train is the simplest and cheapest means of traveling long distances. Crores of people travel by train every day in India. Indian trains have now become much more advanced than before. Now high speed premium trains like Vande Bharat have also been included in Indian Railways. Railways is continuously upgrading its trains. But, there are still many places in the country where British era methods are still being adopted for trains. Even today, the old token system is being used to run trains at many places in India.
Token exchange was started in the Indian Railway system so that the movement of trains could be safe. To explain in clear words, this is the way of the times when signal facilities were not available at all places. Token exchange facility was implemented to ensure that the train reaches its upcoming station properly. Even today this system is still in operation in many places in the country.
This technology is necessary for train safety
Let us tell you that in the token exchange system, an iron ring is given to the train driver. Until the train driver delivers this iron ring to another station, another train is not started on that track. Let us tell you in detail about this token exchange system.
When Indian Railways was started, the tracks were very small for a long time. There were many places in the country where incoming and outgoing trains run on the same track. In such a situation, token exchange was started to prevent the two trains from clashing with each other. In this system a big iron ring is used as a token. When the train reaches the station, this iron ring is given to the locopilot i.e. the driver of the train.
The iron ring has to be delivered to the next station.
Giving an iron ring to the driver meant that the track was completely free and no other vehicle could enter it. As soon as the train reaches another station connected to that track, the locopilot gives that iron ring to the station master. Unless that token is exchanged at the station, the Station Master cannot run another train on that track.
For your information, let us tell you that the iron rings used in token exchange contain an iron ball. This ball is called a tablet in technical language. As soon as the station master receives the token from the driver, he fits it on the nail ball machine installed at the station. From this the route to the next station is considered clear. The most special thing about this token station was that if for some reason the train does not reach the station, then the nail ball machine installed at the previous station will not be unlocked and no train from that station will be able to come on that track.
Special features of token exchange system
- In the railway token exchange system, the iron rings contain a ball called a tablet.
- The station master takes a token from the train driver and fits the ball in the nail ball machine installed at the station.
- As soon as the ball is fitted, the route to the next station becomes clear.
- If a train leaving a station does not reach the next station, the nail ball machine installed at the previous station will remain locked.
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