Railway Safety Upgrade: Northeast Frontier Railway Developing AI Device To Ensure Driver Alertness

The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is currently working on an artificial intelligence-based device that can detect the level of alertness of train drivers by monitoring their blinking eyes.

This device aims to prevent accidents caused by driver sleepiness. The Railway Board had requested the NFR to develop such a device back in June.

The device, known as the Railway Driver Assistance System (RDAS), not only alerts the driver when they are losing alertness but also applies emergency brakes if the driver remains inattentive for a certain period of time. RDAS will be connected to a vigilance control device to ensure the prompt application of emergency brakes.

Currently, the device is still in the development stage and undergoing trials to ensure its proper functioning. The technical team at NFR is actively working on it, and they anticipate it will be ready within the next few weeks, according to a railway official.

Acknowledging the importance of this project, the Railway Board sent a letter to the NFR on 2 August, urging them to expedite the in-house development of RDAS. The plan is to fit the device in 20 goods train engines (WAG9) and passenger train engines (WAP7) as a pilot project once it is ready for implementation.

Feedback on the system's performance is being requested from all zones in order to identify areas for improvement, if necessary.

The Indian Railway Loco Runningmen Organisation (IRLRO) has dismissed the device as ineffective, arguing that existing mechanisms in fast-moving trains already ensure driver alertness.

According to IRLRO working president Sanjay Pandhi, high-speed train engines are equipped with foot-operated levers that drivers must activate every 60 seconds. Failing to do so triggers automatic emergency brakes, bringing the train to a stop. Pandhi believes this existing system is sufficient to ensure driver alertness, reports the Economic Times.

Pandhi further suggests that instead of implementing the RDAS, the railway should prioritise studies on factors such as driver fatigue, running hours, facilities, and rest hours to enhance train operation safety.

Many drivers, including women, do not receive any breaks for eating or using the restroom during their shifts that can last over 11 hours. According to Pandhi, if these needs were properly addressed, there would be no need for any RADS in engines.