A pocket-sized device could be the answer to casualties during railway tracks patrolling. The Delhi division of the northern railways will give patrollers a portable GPS device which will help locate their positions on the tracks.

Often, the news of a casualty does not reach the control room in time. The GPS can also be used to relay such news immediately, bringing down fatalities caused by lack of timely medical aid.

The devices, little bigger than an average cell phone, will use GPS technology to spot and track patrollers. The control room at the divisonal railway manager's office will get a constant feed of this data in real time. Positions of patrollers will pop up on a computer from time to time. Both, the patrollers and those monitoring them from the control room, can speak to each other. In case of accidents, immediate relief can be provided.

Rajeev Shrivastava, senior divisonal engineer (coordination) in the Delhi division says, "We will be using the technology in sensitive areas. We can then provide immediate help to a patroller in these areas. We will also use this technology to monitor if patrolling duties are being done properly or not."

The Delhi division had earlier approached Wipro for the device and the software. Initially, the railways will procure 50 such devices for which they are to pay Rs 21-22 lakh. If the pilot succeeds, a proposal will be submitted to the northern railways headquarters. The pilot has already been initiated on the Delhi-Panipat section.