Shri U. Subba Rao, General Manager, Southern Railway, inspected the Zonal Signal and Telecommunication Training Centre (ZSTTC), Podanur on 23rd October, 2026.   During the inspection, the General Manager inaugurated a Kavach Lab, an IP-based Integrated Passenger Information System (IPIS) Lab, and smart interactive panels in all classrooms. He also laid the foundation stone for the new G+2 Gents' Hostel, a Computer-based Examination Hall and a Signalling Model Room in the outdoor yard.

At the Founder's Day function organised at the S&T Training Center, the General Manager launched the Centre's Institutional Training Management System (ITMS) web portal, which digitises training records from a trainee's reporting to relieving. Technical posters and pamphlets on cybersecurity, Earth Leakage Detectors, resetting procedures of axle counters in automatic signalling sections and Kavach handover and takeover checklists were also released. Best Trainee awards for the year 2024 and 2025 were presented.

Shri Vijai Singh Meena, Principal Chief Signal and Telecommunication Engineer, Southern Railway; Shri Panna Lal, Divisional Railway Manager, Salem;  Shri S. Nageswara Rao, Chief Signal and Telecommunication Engineer, South Western Railway; Shri  Arindam Chatterjee, Chief Workshop Manager, S&T Workshop, Podanur; and other senior officials of Southern Railway took part in the events.

In his address, the General Manager said that with great advancement in technology in the S&T department comes great responsibility, and that staff should not adopt any short cuts while working on safety-critical systems. He urged the Centre to ensure that competent staff come out of the Institute, and that they keep abreast of the latest changes in technology through continuous learning and knowledge sharing. He also suggested interactive kiosks at supervisors' offices in the field for refreshing topics through Q&A, adoption of AR/VR technologies to provide immersive learning in the latest technologies and safety-critical systems, and an AI-based troubleshooting app to assist technicians in the field.

Functioning since 1960, ZSTTC Podanur trains Signal and Telecommunication staff of Southern Railway and South Western Railway. In 2026 (up to September), the Centre conducted 88 courses and trained 1,332 staff. Since 2024, it has trained 622 staff on Kavach, the indigenous Automatic Train Protection system.

Source – SR & RSB