Indian Railways has widened the scope of its AI-based Detection System that aims at the use of technology for preventing wildlife, that is to say, elephant, train collisions. With the help of AI alerts and fibre-optic sensors, it identifies animal movement in the vicinity of railway tracks and immediately informs the train operators, thus, greatly increasing safety and peaceful cohabitation with nature.
A Big Step Toward Wildlife Protection
Indian Railways has expanded its AI-based Intrusion Detection System to reduce wildlife and elephant train collisions. The system now covers 141 kilometres under the Northeast Frontier Railway. It will extend to 981 more kilometres across India, making it one of the most significant technology-driven wildlife protection initiatives in the railway sector.
How the AI Intrusion Detection System Works
1. Fibre Optic-Based Sensors
The system employs Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) to detect vibrations along the tracks, where fibre-optic cables are laid.
2. Real-Time Animal
The fibre-optic cables detect vibrations from an elephant or other large animal walking near the track. The system’s AI immediately interprets this as an act of intrusion.
3 Instant Alerts to the Railway
The real-time alert is conveyed to:
- Loco pilots
- Station masters
- Control room teams
This system allows the trains to time down or stop, and it is already facilitating the decrease of elephant mortalities in the areas that are most dangerous.
Why This Expansion Matters?
India has numerous elephant corridors that elephants use to move through, and where trains also pass through these forest areas. In the past, such routes were the scene of several tragic elephant deaths and were also severely affected by operational disruptions.
A Step Toward Sustainable Rail Development
The expansion of IDS is a clear demonstration that contemporary infrastructure and nature preservation can be in harmony. This effort tells the story of how state-of-the-art technology can not only protect the most vulnerable species but also facilitate the smooth operation of railways.
FAQ (Frequently Based Questions)
1. What is the AI based Intrusion Detection System used by Indian Railways?
An AI-based IDS employs fibre-optic sensors and machine learning to figure out the movement of animals near the tracks and as a result of the Detection, train operators are informed immediately to prevent accidents.
2. Why is this system mainly focused on elephants?
With the increase in traffic, elephants in forests and corridors are often the victims of train accidents but the IDS detects their presence in time and, thus, the trains can slow down or stop.
3. How much railway track is covered under the expanded IDS?
The system is only functioning along 141 km of the Northeast Frontier Railway at present. Besides that, Indian Railways has given the green light for the system to be extended along 981 km of the forested area with a high risk of animal-train collisions.
Indian Railways Deploys Expanded AI Based Intrusion Detection Network to Minimize Wildlife-Train Collisions