What is the i-ATS System?

About the i-ATS System:

• It is India’s first indigenously developed Train Control and Supervision System.
• It is a computer-based system that will manage train operations including basic functioning such as running and halting.
• The i-ATS has been jointly developed by the DMRC and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) under the Government of India’s ‘Make in India’ and ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ initiatives for Metro Rail Transit Systems.
• It will reduce the metro’s dependence on foreign vendors for metro operations.
• The i-ATS technology has been developed to be flexible enough to work with different signaling vendors’ systems with suitable changes.
• The development of i-ATS is a huge step forward in CBTC (Communication Based Train Control) based signaling system for the metro railways since the ATS  is an essential component of the CBTC signaling system.
• With the launch of i-ATS, India became the sixth country with its own ATS products after France, Germany, Japan, Canada, and China.

Q1) What is CBTC (Communication Based Train Control)?

CBTC is a modern communication based system that uses radio communication to transfer timely and accurate train control information. CBTC is the choice of mass-transit railway operators today, with over a hundred systems currently installed worldwide.

Source: India launches 1st indigenously developed ATS system for DMRC; becomes 6th country to have its own ATS products