Mumbai, February 26: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the launch of the Rail Tech Policy and the complete digitization of the Rail Claims Tribunal (RCT) as part of the Indian Railways’ major initiative, “52 Reforms in 52 Weeks.” This marks the third and fourth reforms in the series.
The Rail Tech Policy aims to foster innovation within Indian Railways by engaging innovators, startups, industries, and institutions. According to a statement from the Ministry of Railways, the new policy simplifies the selection process for innovators and introduces a dedicated ‘Rail Tech Portal.’
This policy features a user-friendly interface, significantly increases grant amounts by over three times, and doubles the maximum grant for prototype development and testing.
Key innovation sectors under this policy include AI-based Elephant Intrusion Detection Systems (EIDS), AI-driven fire detection systems in coaches, drone-based broken rail detection systems, rail stress monitoring systems, sensor-based load calculation devices for parcel vans (VPU), solar panels on coaches, AI-driven coach cleaning monitoring systems, obstacle detection in foggy weather, and AI-based pension and dispute resolution systems.
Minister Vaishnaw outlined that the Rail Tech Policy aims to systematically integrate technology into the railway sector. He emphasized the need for startups, researchers, and innovators to connect with Indian Railways in a structured, meaningful, and straightforward manner.
He stated that anyone with a viable technological idea should have the opportunity to engage with the railways through a dedicated Rail Tech Portal, which will operate entirely digitally and streamline the entire process.
Vaishnaw clarified that the goal is to transition from a complex vendor selection system based on rigid specifications to a simpler, innovation-driven framework focused on testing and adopting new technologies.
In the fourth reform, Vaishnaw announced the complete digitization and AI-enabled transformation of the Rail Claims Tribunal (RCT). The e-RCT system will facilitate the full computerization and digitization of the tribunal, revolutionizing the process of filing, processing, and settling claims, making it faster, more transparent, and accessible from anywhere in the country.
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