'Project DRISHTI' – AI system to secure freight wagons, launched by Northeast Frontier Railway
12-10-2026 · English
Topics: Technology · 12 October 2026 Current Affairs (UPSC / TNPSC / SSC / RRB)
News
Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), a zone of Indian Railways, introduced 'Project DRISHTI', an artificial intelligence (AI) system developed with IIT Guwahati (launched 25 Sept 2026 at Maligaon, Guwahati). Trackside high-speed cameras let the AI read each wagon number on a passing freight train and check whether doors, locks and seals are intact; open doors, damage or pilferage are flagged to staff at once.
Key facts
| System | Project DRISHTI – AI-based monitoring of freight-wagon locks and seals |
| Developed by | Northeast Frontier Railway + IIT Guwahati (Technology Innovation and Development Foundation) |
| Launch | 25 Sept 2026, NFR HQ, Maligaon, Guwahati |
| Use | Helps the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and commercial staff; faster checks at night and in bad weather |
Background
- Note: this is not an all-India Railways launch but an NFR zone project, with phased expansion planned. It is not a track-defect detection system either.
- Related: 'Kavach' – the indigenous automatic train protection (ATP) system developed by RDSO; Railway Protection Force Act 1957.
- India's first train ran on 16 Apr 1853 from Bombay to Thane (34 km). The Railway Budget was merged with the Union Budget in 2017.
Tamil Nadu link: Southern Railway, the first zone of Indian Railways, was formed on 14 Apr 1951 with headquarters in Chennai. The Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Perambur, Chennai, built the first 'Vande Bharat' train (2018).
Source: Maritime Gateway, Swarajya, Construction World, Sept 2026
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