Soon, Indian trains to have black boxes

Shoranur: Indian Railways will soon roll out modern train compartments equipped with black boxes. The first batch of 100 smart rail coaches having black boxes is ready for launch at the rail coach factory at Rae Bareli.

The technology, similar to the one used in aircraft, is being adopted by Railways to bring down train accidents.

If the black box in aircraft helps investigators determine the cause of an aviation accident, the sensor-based on-board condition monitoring system (OBCMS) in trains will facilitate timely detection of defects related to passenger coaches apart from providing passenger-related information on a real-time basis.

The box, which relies heavily on artificial intelligence, would monitor temperature of internal wires, cables and connectors and alert the loco pilot in case of an emergency. It will also keep an eye on critical components, especially those known to cause harm to rail infrastructure, as well as delays and derailments.

The on-board sensors will constantly record vibrations and temperatures and send out warning to the surveillance unit if anomalies in vibration, which indicates bearing defects, are detected.

Besides the black box, smart coaches will have features such as smart CCTV cameras with real-time video output, passenger information system, infotainment software and wi-fi access.

The Passenger Information and Coach Computing Unit (PICCU), a CPU that resembles an industrial-grade computer which is equipped with a GSM network, will keep commuters informed about the train’s real-time location, speed, running status, safety measures in place etc. The passengers will be able to communicate with the coach guard using this facility. Entry of unreserved passengers into the coaches could also be monitored.

Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches have been converted into smart compartments with coach information and diagnostics systems. The smart coaches that prioritise safety and hygiene have more seating capacity than the existing coaches. These light aluminium compartments are designed in a way to create less noise, but it would cost an additional Rs 14 lakh per coach.

The LHB coaches, developed by the German locomotive manufacturer Alstom, were first introduced in Shatabdi Express in 2000. These coaches are now being manufactured at the rail coach factory at Kapurthala, Punjab, after Indian Railways struck a technology transfer agreement with the German firm.