Shri Dharam Veer Meena inaugurated the Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) system at the 110 kV North-East transmission line near Asangaon on 28.09.2025.

The Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) is a new technology introduced on Central Railway (CR) to upgrade communication systems for enabling safe train operations.

Shri Anoop Kumar Agarwal, Principal Chief Electrical Engineer, Shri Hiresh Mina, Divisional Railway Manager, Mumbai Division, Principal Head of Departments, and Senior Officers of Central Railway were also present during the inauguration.

Following Railway Board directives for laying of two Optical Fibre Cables (OFC) on each side of the railway tracks to all Zones, Central Railway, in order to overcome the challenges of underground OFC and to enhance the reliability of the communication path, proposed use of 96F Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) as Aerial Earth Conductor (AEC) in CR's entire existing electrified sections.

The use of OPGW as AEC in the OHE (Overhead Equipment) mast/portal along the track will help in speedy execution for providing a backbone for works like KAVACH (Train Collision Avoidance System), Automatic Block Signalling (ABS), LTE-4G (high-speed wireless network for rail operations), all future IOT systems for monitoring track and rolling stocks, Internet Protocol Multi-Protocol Label Switching (IPMPLS) (modern networking technology providing efficient communication backbone), etc., in Central Railway, as its installation process is comparatively faster than laying of underground OFC.

Special Features of 96F Optical Ground Wire (OPGW):

• Central Railway has pioneered this new technology being introduced on Railways.
• 96 fiber cables each will be installed on either side of the railway tracks.
• The Fibres will be enclosed inside Power lines, making it more safe and secure.
• This will enable Route diversity and ensure optimum capitalisation of OHE assets, reducing the cost.
• Since the Fibres are aerial, maintenance is comparatively easier.
• It has great earning potential as the technology, in addition to being used internally, can also be leased to other agencies, thereby aiding the generation of additional revenue.

Source/CR