Lahore Cantt Signalling System Goes Live After Trials
Lahore Cantt Railway Station has been equipped with a new computer based interlocking signalling system, replacing a decades-old manual point system known as kanta. The Lahore Cantt signalling system opened for trial operations on October 21, and trains passed safely through it during initial trials.
Pakistan Railways Lahore Divisional Superintendent Inamullah Khan told Dawn that the replacement of the old kanta system with the modern computer based interlocking system in Lahore division started from Shahdara Station. Raiwind and Okara Cantt stations were equipped later, he said.
Lahore’s main railway station will also get the same system in the next couple of months, according to the report. For now, Cantt Station was treated as a priority because of the complexity of its yard.
Lahore Cantt signalling system: how it works
The computer based interlocking system, known as CBI, replaces mechanical and relay-based signalling with computer-controlled technology. It manages railway signals, track points and train routes through a computerised interface.
Under the new system, operators control signals and track points from a screen. Before a train is allowed to proceed, the system checks whether the selected route is available, where the track points are set, and whether any conflicting train movement would clash with that route.
If a fault occurs, the fail-safe design is meant to place signals in a restrictive state. That is a key safety feature: when the system cannot confirm a route is safe, it defaults to stopping trains rather than letting them proceed.
Khan described the system in simple terms. “It is a fully automated system that sets the route, ensures safe train operations and records all operational activities related to interlocking, operators etc. It enables PR to check the on-duty operators and their activities,” he said.
That record-keeping matters after an incident. If a question arises about a signal or a route, officials can check what the system recorded, rather than relying only on memory or paper logs.
Where the upgrade stands
A project official told Dawn that the CBI system had been installed at all railway stations from Shahdara to Lahore, except Lahore’s main station and Khanewal Railway Station. Those two stations are therefore the remaining gaps on that stretch.
The timing is important for Pakistan Railways, which is under pressure over safety. The department recently declared a three-month emergency after a run of accidents, as reported in our coverage of Pakistan Railways’ three-month emergency after 55 accidents. Signalling upgrades do not fix every safety problem, but they remove one well-known risk: human error in setting manual points.
Lahore is also dealing with wider transport and pollution pressures. Anti-smog guns have returned to the city’s pollution hotspots, covered in our report on anti-smog guns in Lahore, and the government has raised fines for vehicle overloading, reported in our coverage of higher fines for vehicle overloading. Rail safety sits within that same push for safer, more reliable travel.
What passengers should notice
For most passengers, the change at Cantt Station will be invisible. Trains will still arrive and depart from the same platforms, and tickets will work in the same way. The difference lies in the control room, where a computer now checks routes before a train moves.
Over time, that should mean fewer signalling-related delays and a lower chance of conflicting routes being set. It should also make operations easier to audit, since every interlocking action is recorded.
The real test will come at Lahore’s main station, which handles far more trains and passengers than Cantt. If that installation goes smoothly in the next couple of months, the Shahdara to Lahore stretch will have a modern signalling chain, with only Khanewal still waiting on that route.
Until then, Cantt Station offers a working example of the upgrade. Trial operations since October 21 have gone through without reported problems, and the system is now part of daily operations at the station. Lahore has also set formal dates for Basant 2027, with strict safety rules in the DC notification.
Frequently asked questions
What is the new system at Lahore Cantt Station?
A computer based interlocking signalling system, which replaces the old manual kanta point system.
When did trial operations start?
On October 21, after installation, testing and commissioning.
Which stations already have the system?
Shahdara, Raiwind and Okara Cantt, and now Lahore Cantt, according to Pakistan Railways officials.
Which stations are still waiting?
Lahore’s main railway station, due in the next couple of months, and Khanewal Railway Station.
