Big Boost for Indian Railways! While emphasizing on smart planning, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal recently said that Indian Railways needs to focus on smart project implementation. While talking about several initiatives undertaken by his ministry in order to transform Indian Railways as a smart transporter, Goyal stated that while deliberating on possibilities and solutions, it is necessary to keep the practicality in mind. The minister also said that it was the duty of Indian Railways to engage with most modern technology and to let the people of the country enjoy the benefits of the best in class. Here are 7 projects, Indian Railways is working on, as highlighted by Piyush Goyal:
1.) To enhance punctuality of train services, instead of the station master recording the time, Indian Railways has introduced data loggers, which have been put at interchange points and show computer generated data. The Railway Minister claimed that from April 1, 2018, till now, this has helped improve punctuality to 73-74 per cent.
2.) The national transporter is also working on putting a GPS device on every locomotive. This is being done so that every train can be tracked on mobile phones, knowing their exact location. This will help know the real time running status of a train.
3.) The electrification of Railways can save $2 billion every year, says Indian Railways. According to Goyal, the cost for overhauling the diesel engine, same or less amount will be spent to convert them into electric. So without spending anything additional, Indian Railways can have a new engine, he said. He also stated that electric engines will have a huge impact on the country’s carbon footprint.
4.) The Railway Minister also announced that to improve efficiency in Indian Railways, they may soon have smarter time tables.
5.) The national transporter is reviewing plans to engage with Artificial Intelligence (AI). According to Goyal, a lot can be done with data being put to use with predictive maintenance, better monitoring as well as utilization of assets and better passenger service. In this regard, Indian Railways recently rolled out its first SMART coach which makes use of sensor based system to check coach and track health.
6.) Once smarter signalling is implemented, the focus of Indian Railways will on removing permanent speed restrictions, getting 150,000 bridges audited and improved.
7.) In the next six to eight months, Indian Railways to make 6,000 railway stations across the country, WiFi enabled, to provide high-speed internet connectivity in the remotest parts of the country.