Rail Tech Policy, Portal and e-Railway Claims Tribunal unveiled by Union Railway Minister

¨     On 26 February, the Rail Tech Policy, Rail Tech Portal and e-Railway Claims Tribunal system were unveiled by Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw as part of Indian Railways’ reform agenda.

¨     The announcements were made under the broader commitment of undertaking 52 reforms in 52 weeks during the year.

¨   The Rail Tech Policy was introduced with the objective of promoting large-scale and systematic adoption of technology across Indian Railways.

¨     It was stated that innovators, startups, industry players and institutions will be engaged to drive technological transformation in the rail sector.

¨   Key innovation areas have been identified, including AI-based Elephant Intrusion Detection Systems and AI-driven fire detection in coaches.

¨     A drone-based broken rail detection mechanism and obstruction detection technology for foggy conditions have also been incorporated as priority areas.

¨     The Rail Tech Portal was launched to provide a structured platform for collaboration with innovators and industry stakeholders.

¨     The e-Railway Claims Tribunal system was introduced as a citizen-centric digital reform to modernise the processing of claims.

¨   The initiative is intended to make filing, processing and adjudication of cases faster, transparent and accessible nationwide across 23 RCT benches.

¨     It was announced that all Railway Claims Tribunal benches will be fully digitised within the next 12 months to enhance efficiency, accountability and transparency.