Detecting defects in train wheels, preventing elephant fatalities: Railways deploys AI on tracks, trains and stations to boost safety

Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven technologies are playing an increasingly important role in improving railway safety and reducing accidents across India, according to a senior official of the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), the research and development arm of Indian Railways.

At the AI Technology Transformation Conference held recently in Hyderabad, RDSO Deputy Director General Qazi Mairaj Ahmad said the organisation is implementing several AI-based initiatives aimed at enhancing safety, efficiency and operational reliability.

How AI is used to improve rail safety?

Among the key projects is the Integrated Track Management System (ITMS), which uses computer vision to inspect rails, sleepers and track fastenings. Other initiatives include online rolling stock monitoring systems and Wheel Impact Load Detectors (WILD), which identify defects in train wheels while trains are in motion.

Prevent elephant fatalities, navigate in low-visibility conditions

The RDSO is also deploying AI-based intrusion detection systems that use distributed acoustic sensing technology to prevent elephant fatalities along railway corridors. Another major project, ‘Tri-Nethra’, is an advanced driver assistance system being developed to help locomotive pilots navigate safely in foggy and low-visibility conditions, particularly in the Northeast.

A short drop in consequential railway accidents

Mr. Ahmad said these interventions have contributed to a sharp decline in consequential railway accidents, which fell from 135 in 2014-15 to just 11 in 2025-26. “The metric for government AI is not likes or clicks. It is lives saved,” he said.

According to him, AI-based intrusion detection systems have already been deployed along 141 km of railway tracks in the Northeast, while tenders were floated for an additional 1,000 km. AI-enabled video surveillance systems have also been installed at 1,731 railway stations, helping detect incidents, improving response times and enhancing passenger safety.

The official cited the success of the ‘Kavach’ – Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system to demonstrate that sovereign, safety-critical AI infrastructure is already a reality in India. The indigenously designed system certified by the Lucknow-headquartered RDSO and technically supervised through the Indian Railway Institute of Signal Engineering and Telecommunications (IRISET) in Secunderabad, has achieved Safety Integrity Level-4 (SIL-4), the highest internationally accepted railway safety standard.

‘Kavach’

‘Kavach’ is currently operational over more than 2,746 route kilometres, installed on around 617 locomotives and active at 860 stations. Supported by 7,129 km of optical fibre and 800 indigenous telecom towers, it is among the largest railway safety technology deployments in the country. In January alone, Railways commissioned 472 route kilometres of ‘Kavach 4.0’, a record monthly achievement.

Mr. Ahmad urged policymakers to replicate similar models in sectors such as healthcare, power, policing, agriculture and land administration. “AI at scale is not a slogan for India. It is our operating condition. The focus now must be on building better governance through technology that citizens can actually experience,” said the RDSO Additional DG.