NFR & IIT Guwahati collaborates on AI-based surveillance system for wagon door lock monitoring

Guwahati: In a collaborative initiative between Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) and the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati Technology Innovation and Development Foundation (IITG TIDF), a technical presentation was held on 6th November, 2025 at the General Manager’s Conference Hall, N.F. Railway Headquarters, Maligaon.

Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, Chief Public Relations Officer of NFR through a press statement said that a team of experts from the IITG TIDF presented their advanced AI-based surveillance system named DRISHTI, an AI based Locking Monitoring System developed for Goods Wagons. The presentation was organized as part of the MoU signed on 19th November 2024, between NFR and IIT Guwahati, to showcase a prototype model for developing intelligent monitoring solutions using high-speed imaging, computer vision and artificial intelligence. The presentation was attended by GM of NFR along with several PHoDs of the zone, where the discussions focused on the scope of integrating AI-based surveillance within NFR’s freight network.

The development of an advanced AI-based surveillance system is important to address the operational challenges in detecting unlocked or tampered doors in moving freight stock, which pose significant safety and security concerns. Traditional manual checks are time-consuming and often impractical for long-haul rakes under dynamic conditions. The collaborative team from IITG and NFR identified the need for an intelligent, real-time monitoring solution that could autonomously detect and alert for anomalies in door locking mechanisms, especially during transit, using advanced computer vision and machine learning algorithms.

An AI-based surveillance and locking condition monitoring system - DRISHTI, thus have been introduced and expected to bring greater transparency, visibility and technological assurance to freight security system. Such a system can provide real-time status updates on door lock conditions, detect abnormal events or tampering during transit and issue automated data-driven alerts without affecting normal train operations. By integrating advanced analytics and imaging technology, the system aims to strengthen wagon sealing integrity, enhance reliability and minimize human intervention.

During the presentation, IIT Guwahati demonstrated the prototype system that has been under successful trial for the past ten months approximately on selected wagons. The system integrates AI-powered cameras and sensors mounted on strategic points to capture and analyze door positions and locking conditions in real time. Preliminary results have shown encouraging accuracy levels, validating the potential of this indigenous innovation. Further refinements and scalability plans are underway for wider application across the NFR network to strengthen rolling stock safety and operational reliability.