AI Boosts Train Safety: Indian Railways & DFCCIL Expansion

• Indian Railways and DFCCIL to deploy AI-based MVIS for automated train safety checks.
• Four MVIS units to be installed, reducing manual inspections and enhancing efficiency.
• Over 9,000 jobs offered in Q1 FY26; 50,000+ targeted by year-end.

In order to improve service efficiency and automate the maintenance of rolling stock, Indian Railways entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL) for the acquisition of the Machine Vision Based Inspection System (MVIS).

The AI- and ML-based Machine Vision Based Inspection System (MVIS) will take high-resolution photos of the under-gear of moving trains, and in turn, will be able to identify loose, hanging, or missing components.

After the images are conjured, MVIS will detect any anomalies and provide real-time alerts, escalating and deploying corrective actions as soon as possible when an anomaly is detected, allowing for preventive maintenance simultaneously.

Sumit Kumar, Director (Project and Development), Railway Board and Jawahar Lal, GGM (Mechanical), DFCCIL formally signed the MoU at Rail Bhawan. As per the agreement, DFCCIL will procure, install, test and commission four (4) MVIS Units.

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Indian Railways has genuinely embraced a high-tech automated inspection system for the first time, underlining the nation's commitment to leveraging advanced technologies to enhance the safety, security and reliability of rail operations.

The ministry stated, "This initiative also aligns with IR’s broader objective of introducing modern, intelligent systems to the railway ecosystem. The signing of this MoU is poised to open new avenues for digital transformation in rail safety in building a future-ready rail infrastructure".

MVIS is expected to enhance efficiency, reduce the reliance on manual inspections, and mitigate the probability of service interruptions or accidents.

In a concurrent effort, Indian railways are going in the opposite direction with workforce development. In the first quarter of FY 2025-26, Indian Railways has already released appointment letters for in excess of 9,000 people, with more than 50,000 recruits by the end of FY 2025-26. Since November 2024, the Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) have administered Computer Based Tests (CBTs) for over 1.86 crore job seekers across seven different recruitment notifications.