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Use of GIS (Geographical information system) in railway transport
Railway has long been considered as the safest transportation media. Recognizing the need to improve the efficiency of the transportation systems. The statistics show a huge number of accidents are due to human errors. Therefore, having a systematic way for railway operation management and reduction of human intervention or controlling activities and performances could play a significant role in reducing the number and impact of accidents . Geographic information systems have emerged in the last decade as an essential tool for urban and resource planning and management. Their capacity to store, retrieve, analyze, model and map large areas with huge volumes of spatial data has led to an extraordinary proliferation of applications. GIS allows the creation of maps through automated mapping, data capture and surveying analysis tool. It can be used to find out what's occurring within a set distance of a feature. Finally, creating maps include precise details about train crossing and train transfers. After creating maps by GIS, then link these maps to railways Database. GIS benefits organizations of all sizes and in almost every industry. There is a growing interest in and awareness of the economic and strategic value of GIS, in part because of more standards- based technology and greater awareness of the benefits demonstrated by GIS users. The number of GIS enterprise solutions and IT strategies that include GIS are growing rapidly. The benefits of GIS generally fall into five basic categories:
1. Cost savings resulting from greater efficiency.
2. Better decision making.
3. Improved communication.
4. Better geographic information record keeping.
5. Managing geographically.
6. Visualization of results
Components of GIS: GIS consists of some important components to carry out its fundamental functions properly. These components are as follows:
− Hardware: The computer and the secondary devices attached to it, which enable GIS to operate, are called as hardware.
− Software: Software is sum of algorithms written in high level programming languages in order to store, analyse, and display geographical data.
− Data: Data is the most important component of GIS. The complexity of data sources and huge amount of data having different structures require much more time and high costs.
− People: GIS technology has a wide application with human creativity. People manage the required systems to solve real world problems, and prepare long and short-term plans.
− Methods: GIS works properly only when plans and work principles are prepared precisely. These plans and principles are generally in the form of models and applications specific to each organisation.
GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN RAILWAY ENGINEERING
In the transportation industry geographic analysis is the key to making better decisions. Whether monitoring rail systems and road conditions, finding the best way to deliver goods and services, tracking fleet vehicles, or maintaining transportation networks, understanding these issues from a geographic perspective is crucial to deploying or spending resources wisely.
Railways around the world find great utility in using geographical information systems (GIS) to manage key information for rail operations, maintenance, asset management, and decision support systems. The list below identifies the major functions or disciplines in which GIS has been successfully deployed in railway organisations:
− Real estate management
− Facility management
− Track
− Power
− Communications and signalling
− Asset tracking
− Commodity flow analysis
− Emergency response management
− Environmental and construction management
− Intermodal management
− Passenger information
− Capacity planning –
Marketing
− Supply chain management
− Site selection
− Risk management
These are the steps of GIS Project [
1. Identification of Project Objectives
2. Creation of Project Database
3. Data Analysis
4. Presentation of the Results
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