Lok Sabha Question No. 3942 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-18
Subject: National Rail and Transportation Institute
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Kirron  Kher

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3942 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.03.2020

## NATIONAL RAIL AND TRANSPORATION INSTITUTE

3942.  SHRIMATI KIRRON KHER

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state :

- (a)      whether  the  Government  is  planning  to  develop  new  age technologies, including Internet of Things, big data and artificial intelligence to improve safety, punctuality and line capacity of the train operations and if so, the details thereof; (b) the fund  allocated so far for the  National Rail  and Transportation Institute, Vadodara; (c)  the details of courses that will be introduced in the National Rail and Transportation Institute; and (d)  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  boost  research  and development work to improve overall operations of the Indian
- Railways?

ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS AND COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

- (a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  To  (d)  OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3942 BY SHRIMATI KIRRON KHER TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 18.03.2020 REGARDING NATIONAL RAIL AND TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE

(a) Yes  Sir.  Technologies  including  Internet  of  Things  (IoT),  Big Data and Artificial Intelligence are being used for modernisation of Signalling systems. Remote Condition Based Monitoring using nonintrusive sensors,  Data  Logger  system,  Electronic Interlocking Stations,  Mobile  Train  Radio  Communication  (MTRC),  are  being introduced. The  use of this technology  enables prediction of signalling  assets  failures  and  enhances  reliability  of  Signalling System. Further,  MTRC  based  on  Long  Term  Evolution  (LTE-4G)  is planned  to  be  extended  to  cover  all  major  routes  over  Indian Railways. LTE over Indian Railways will work as backbone of train control  &  train  protection  system  and  will  provide  secure,  always available and reliable voice, video and data communication services to  support  the  communication  needs  for  operational  and  other requirements of Rail Network.  Indian Railways is also working on various  way  side  fault  detection  technologies  which  are  based  on internet  of  Things,  big  data  and  artificial  intelligence  to  improve safety,  punctuality  and  line  capacity.  Some  of  the  specifications based on these technologies like Smart Yard, Machine Vision Based Inspection System, Hot Axle and Hot wheel Detector System, Bogie Condition Monitoring System & Wheel Impact Load Detector System have  already  been  issued.  These  and  other  new  age  technologies capture train running information & update Control Office Application automatically at the central server to provide real time status  of  arrival  and  departure  of  trains  to  provide  information  to improve safety, punctuality and line capacity of train operations.

- (b) ₹ 30 crores have been allocated in FY 2020-2021.
- (c) Two(2) B.Tech courses and six(6) Masters programs shall be introduced in AY 2020-2021.
- (d) Research, Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) is focusing  on  research  and  development  work  in  coordination  with academia  and  industry  to  improve  Railway  operation.  MoUs  with eminent Institutes viz. IIT/Chennai, IIT/Kanpur, IIT/Roorkee, University of  Mumbai, and IIT/Kharagpur have  also been signed to boost research and development work to improve overall operations of  the  Indian  Railways.  A  Centre  of  Excellence  on  Next  General Transportation Systems to develop activity in research, education & training, knowledge transfer etc. has been launched in collaboration with the University of Birmingham, UK. Development of several new Technologies  like  TCAS  (Train  Collision  Avoidance  System),  Fog Pass, Fog Vision, Online Monitoring of Rolling Stock etc. has been taken up.

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