Indian Railways needs latest technologies and innovations to lead the change

New Delhi, India (Urban Transport News): The Centre for Railway Information System (CRIS) has hosted a technical seminar for Ministry of Railways to explore the options of integrating data analytics to transform the railway network at National Rail Museum, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi on 3rd March 2023. The seminar was attended by Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw along with senior officers of Railway board, Zonal & Divisional Railways and Industry partners.

Addressing the seminar, Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the need for rapid transformation of Indian Railways using AI (Artificial Intelligence) and Quantum computing technology. He further said that country needs rapid change to catch up with the rest of world and Indian Railways should lead the change by adopting latest technologies and innovations. He emphasised that this government is clear in its objective for clear focus, intent, flexibility, open mindedness and sense of purpose to do things which are “Desh Ke Hit Mein aur Railways Ke Hit Mein”.

During the seminar, D K Singh, Managing Director, RIS informed that CRIS has collaborated with ISRO for live tracking of trains under Real Time Train Information System (RTIS) project. It will help the Railways run trains efficiently. Satcom & Satnav based IoT devices are being deployed on the trains.

During the seminar, presentations on topics related to data analytics and its application for decision making in Indian Railways & Logistics sector, data analytics journey of Indian Railways  were made by Dr. R Gopalakrishnan, General Manager Data Analytics, CRIS, Ganesh Ramamoorthy, Managing Vice President, Gartner, Dr. Kandukuri Raju, Transportation Domain Consultant with Travel, Transportation and Hospitality (TTH) ISU of TCS, Professor Narayan Rangaraj, Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, IIT Bombay, G V L Satya Kumar, Executive Director (Strategic Planning Implementation), Railway Board and Mukund Shastri, Chief Data Science Officer & Group VP, Comviva Technologies. The presentation were followed by interaction with all stakeholders.

The seminar is a significant initiative that acknowledges the importance of innovation and technology in providing an efficient and reliable transport system. The integration of data analytics can play a crucial role in transforming the railway network and addressing the various challenges faced by the Indian Railways.

The distinguished speakers bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise in data analytics along with extensive experience in the transportation and IT sectors. They will share their insights, experiences, and ideas on how to optimize the use of data analytics in the Indian Railways.

The seminar also intends to provide an opportunity for networking and knowledge sharing among attendees. You can learn from other railway professionals, IT experts, and data analysts from across the country.

Data analytics may provide valuable insights that can help in optimizing various operations of the Indian Railways. It can be used to improve maintenance, enhance the efficiency of the train schedules, and reduce operational costs. By analysing data, Indian Railways can predict the demand for trains, and plan to provide adequate resources. This, in turn, can help in reducing congestion and minimizing delays.

Data analytics can also play a vital role in enhancing customer experience by providing better services and help in providing an integrated transportation system. By analysing data, Indian Railways can identify the busiest routes, and can plan better intermodal transportation to ensure efficient and seamless transportation services.