In a pioneering move aimed at safeguarding elephants from train collisions, the Indian Railways is set to introduce an innovative Artificial Intelligence-based surveillance system, the “Gajraj system,” across a 700-kilometre expanse of railway tracks in forested regions. This revolutionary initiative intends to alert train drivers about the presence of elephants on the tracks, significantly mitigating the peril of elephant fatalities due to train collisions.
Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced this development, highlighting the strategic deployment of AI-driven surveillance along vital stretches in Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Kerala, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Tamil Nadu. With an alarming average of 20 elephant deaths annually from train collisions, particularly within the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) zone, this AI-based system aims to avert such tragic incidents.
The concept of the “Gajraj system” stemmed from Anshul Gupta, former General Manager of NFR, inspired by technology he encountered during a visit to London 13 years ago. Despite initial experiments in 2011 and 2016, the system’s successful implementation materialized in December 2022 across 11 corridors.
This project entails a total implementation cost of ₹181 crore along the 700-kilometre tracks, showcasing its efficacy in Assam after deployment across a 150-kilometre stretch last year. Vaishnaw highlighted its impressive accuracy of 99.5% in detecting elephants on tracks, emphasizing its pivotal role in elephant preservation.
Northeast Frontier Railway celebrated the system’s triumph across 11 elephant corridors, crediting its deployment for eliminating train-elephant collisions since its inception. The Intrusion Detection System (IDS) incorporates sensors alerting control offices, station masters, and train drivers, boasting 9,768 alerts issued since December 2022 and no reported collisions in these corridors.
Operating through the railway’s optical fiber cable (OFC) network, the system detects elephant movement on tracks by capturing vibrations, promptly issuing alerts to mitigate potential dangers.
Sources By Agencies
