SER to modernise digital backbone with ₹200 crore optical fibre cable project across 1,700 RKM

Admin

Kolkata, 1st July, 2026: In a major boost to safety, operational efficiency, and digital infrastructure, the Ministry of Railways has sanctioned a mega telecom project worth ₹200 crore to lay a state-of-the-art 48-Fibre Optical Fibre Cable (#OFC) backbone across South Eastern Railway.

The project will extensively cover 1,696.2 Route Kilometres (RKM) spanning all four major divisions of the zone. By replacing older, capacity-constrained systems with a high-bandwidth, redundant 48-fibre network, SER is establishing a future-ready telecom foundation capable of supporting dense data loads and advanced next-generation signalling systems.

The infrastructure rollout will be distributed across the zone as follows:

  • Adra Division: 545.4 RKM
  • Ranchi Division: 418.6 RKM
  • Chakradharpur Division: 392.3 RKM
  • Kharagpur Division: 339.9 RKM

The core objective of this massive digital overhaul is to eliminate communication lag and ensure absolute reliability across every level of Railway operations.

The robust 48-fibre architecture will directly optimize vital operational channels:

  • Enables seamless coordination between Driver and Guard
  • Ensures uninterrupted contact between Driver/Guard and Stations
  • Strengthens Station to Station communication
  • Enhanced the link between Stations and Divisional Control
  • Establishes top-level monitoring by linking Divisional Control to the Zonal Control, specifically in case of disaster.

This upgraded network acts as the foundational infrastructure required to support modern safety systems like Kavach (Indigenous Automatic Train Protection), real-time video surveillance, and smart asset monitoring, ultimately paving the way for safer, smarter, and significantly more efficient train movements.

South Eastern Railway is committed to executing this vital infrastructure upgrade swiftly, minimizing operational disruptions while aggressively building a safer, digitally empowered transit network for both passenger and freight traffic. Ultimately ensuring enhanced passenger safety.