AI-based Loco Inspection SystemThe Western Railway has put in an AI-based Loco Inspection System at Trip Shed, Bandra Terminus, which is below the Mumbai division.

For rail transportation, AI can provide improvements such as fast and convenient ticket-free check-in, accurate arrival-time predictions, personalized infotainment, and onboard services, real-time track health diagnostics, and rapid response in an emergency. 

While AI could be applied to improve efficiencies and reduce costs across a variety of train control, safety, supervision, and asset management systems, one of the effective examples of uses of AI in rail technology is its contribution to the automation of train operation (ATO).

ATO transfers responsibility for managing operations from the driver to the train control system, with varying degrees of autonomy. The International Electrotechnical Commission has established four standard grades of train automation: the third grade corresponds to driverless operations (with crew members present on board) and the fourth grade to autonomous and unattended train operations. These examples are already visible in light rail and urban transit systems. The Dubai International Airport operates a fully autonomous train to transfer passengers from one terminal to another in a defined track system. It uses SelTrac, an automatic railway signaling technology to control the train autonomously.

In India, the Western Railway has put in an Artificial Intelligence (AI) primarily based Loco Inspection System at Trip Shed, Bandra Terminus, which is below Mumbai division.

Earlier, the loco inspection would happen manually, which was time-consuming and would take hours. However, the AI system will assist to hold out the inspection within a couple of minutes. This new AI-based Loco Inspection System, according to a statement issued by Western Railways, will go a long way in increasing efficiency as well as enhancing the repairs and maintenance works, thereby, improving locomotive outage. This new AI-based Locomotive Inspection System has been put into service at Trip Shed, Bandra Terminus from 18 December 2021, the zonal railway said.

According to the Western Railway zone, the AI-based Loco Inspection System is capable of carrying inspection of the sides, underframe as well as roof. It further mentioned that the new system will be able to measure axle box temperatures, detect loose parts, hanging parts, foreign particles, wheel profile, carbon strip defects, brake block thickness, broken roof insulators, cattle guard defects, primary spring cracks, etc. and also raise alarms for proper intervention.

Chief Public Relations Officer of the Western Railway zone, Sumit Thakur said this technology utilizes hardware such as a 2D Camera, 3D Camera, Thermal Camera, LIDARs, Edge Processors, Sliding Arms, Access Points, etc. The speed of the AI-based Locomotive Inspection System is 1 meter per minute and the time taken to inspect one locomotive on these parameters is 20 minutes as against 3 hours taken in manual mode. Due to these special features, this newly launched Artificial Intelligence-based Locomotive Inspection System has increased pit availability, manpower savings. Besides, the new system has also brought about improvement in an effective locomotive outage, the zonal railway added.