Indian Railways (IR) deploys Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered Intrusion Detection System (IDS) to protect wildlife

Key facts

• Indian Railways (IR) has rolled out an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered Intrusion Detection System (IDS) to safeguard wildlife, including elephants, lions, and tigers, on railway tracks.
• The technology utilizes a Distributed Acoustic System (DAS) to detect animal presence and alert loco pilots and control rooms 0.5 kms in advance.
• The AI-enabled system generates real-time alerts for loco pilots, station masters, and control rooms to facilitate swift preventive action.
• Initially implemented across 141 RKms on the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), the system is being expanded by 981 RKms to achieve a total coverage of 1,122 RKms.
• The initiative follows a collision in the Jamunamukh - Kampur section under the Lumding Division of NFR involving the Sairang - New Delhi Rajdhani Express.
• Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has directed the Forest Department to conduct a detailed enquiry into the death of seven elephants resulting from the train collision.