Parliament heard from Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw about an AI-powered overhaul transforming safety protocols across Indian Railways. Drones, machine vision, and integrated monitors are being deployed in a bid to make the network accident-proof and operationally superior.
Vaishnaw described the rollout of MVIS for detecting train part failures on the move, with pilots in Northeast Frontier (three units), DFCCIL (two), and South East Central (one). Freight expansions via DFCCIL pact and RDSO enhancements underscore the scale. WILD’s 24 detectors flag bad wheels through load metrics, while 25 OMRS units vigilantly oversee bearings—one newly in Sirpur Kagaznagar.
ITMS scans tracks with ML precision, identifying sleeper and fastening flaws. Pioneering drone thermal checks in Raipur target OHE issues, complemented by RDSO’s Tri-Netra for fog-piercing loco aids via hybrid sensors.
Capping these efforts is the February 26 Rail Tech Policy, designed for swift innovation uptake. As these systems mature, expect fewer disruptions, heightened reliability, and a model for global rail tech adoption. India’s railways are stepping into a safer, smarter tomorrow.