Railway Ministry to deploy drone on pilot basis to monitor uneven loading in freight trains
New Delhi, The Railway Ministry has asked three zones to procure drones on contractual basis for a pilot project to monitor and detect uneven loading in freight trains at various terminals.
According to experts, uneven loading has been one of the major causes of freight train derailment and the ministry wants to deploy drone technology to leverage its benefits in ensuring safety of train operations.
'With reference to the growing emphasis on safety, efficiency and technological modernization of freight operations, drone-based monitoring has been identified as a viable solution for monitoring of the loading process, to enhance detection and prevention of uneven loading of wagons at the terminals,' the ministry said in a letter dated June 10 addressed to three divisions South Eastern Railway , South East Central Railway and South Western Railway .
'Competent Authority in this regard has decided to nominate SER, SECR and SWR to undertake pilots for deploying 'Drone as a Service' to be procured on contract basis for real-time surveillance, monitoring and detection of uneven loading at selected terminals,' it added.
Highlighting the project's objective, the ministry said these zones will monitor load distribution patterns in loaded wagons, provide real-time aerial imagery/load profiling before and enable automated detection of unsafe loading or load imbalance through visual analytics.
'The Scope of Work may include but not be limited to the provision of drone-based services for monitoring and detection of uneven loading, deployment of qualified drone operators with appropriate safety certifications, aerial scanning of rakes before dispatch from terminals, real-time transmission of video feed and images and monthly submission of data logs and exception reports," it added.
Urging the other departments to use drones for survey of difficult locations, the ministry said that they should identify one or two terminals handling substantial traffic and where high incidents of uneven loading are reported.
'Pilot may be conducted for three months. Zonal Railways are requested to initiate the process at the earliest and at the end of the pilot, a detailed evaluation report including its feasibility for Pan-India replication may be submitted at the earliest possible,' it added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
32 minutes ago
- Economic Times
The Donland deal: How Pakistan got Trump's attention again
ET Online Pakistan has entered Donald Trump's mind and occupied some head space by doing what it does best - please, pamper and satisfy all needs of the moment, be it delivering terrorists or minerals. Like it or not, Pakistan is in the room, if not at the table, even as Trump and Modi will bump into each other at the ongoing G7 Summit at Kananaskis, Canada. It anticipated contours of Trump's second coming better, adjusted its posture, made the right offers and made them early. The effort is bolstered by more than 10 different lobbying firms working the system, including one headed by Trump's former bodyguard Keith Schiller.A unique quirk: Trump seems to like generals in uniform. Be sure he's thinking of army chief Asim Munir and not Shehbaz Sharif when he talks of Pakistan's 'great leaders' in his frequent remembrances of the India-Pak ceasefire he 'crafted'. A detail: contrary to reports in the hyper media, Munir was not invited to attend the parade to celebrate 250 years of the US army. India is struggling to adjust to a presidency that is less institutional, less structured and less focused. It's about getting the Kremlinology right, the sophisticated art of reading cryptic and crypto signals, and flying close to the sons (even Barron Trump). Outrage - however satisfying - will not help get over the Trump hump. Nor would cancelling defence orders in a fit of pique and losing the long game. Better to use the relationship to build capacity. It's good to remember that US-Pak relations were factored in when India decided to strengthen relations with Washington back in the day and negotiate the nuclear deal. They have remained a reality even though New Delhi thought it had put Pakistan in the diplomatic isolation ward. It kept bouncing back with American and British help and a permanent cadre of sympathetic bureaucrats, including retired ambassadors, in both capitals. Official India learnt to deal with the pain even if IT cell warriors and rabid TV anchors didn' says an analyst, the question remains the same: 'Does India want to - or will it - give Pakistan a veto on US- India ties?' The answer from New Delhi so far seems to be 'no' even as anger rises and political pain grows. Pakistan will do anything to please Trump and Sons. India will Pakistan's play. Over the past few years, with the Afghanistan war over and US interest waning, the army-ISI combine realised that Pakistan was no longer a frontline state. Joe Biden paid little attention and never dialled Islamabad. As American focus moved to the Indo-Pacific and rivalry with China, Pakistan knew it wasn't going to be part of the Quad, although it made some half-hearted elite understood they couldn't vie with India. But they were 'happy just to be heard and not be considered irrelevant'. The militablishment went back to the original drawing board - counterterrorism cooperation - to keep parts of the US government engaged. The easiest doors to open were at the State Department and was dismissive of Pakistan. But note that his administration approved $450 mn to 'sustain' Pakistan's F-16 fleet, including engine hardware upgrades and classified software support. The package was said to be for counterterrorism operations. In a replay, Trump approved $397 mn in February for the same fleet, despite announcing a wide freeze on foreign aid. He made an the background, Rawalpindi slowly took control of Pakistan's China policy from the politicians and worked to dispel the notion the country was (completely) in Beijing's camp. Americans wanted to believe the myth for their own reasons. For the Pakistan army, maintaining ties to America, enjoying the free military training and keeping tabs on Pentagon's thinking have always been priorities. To say nothing of serving as an important window for China in to the point, Pakistani generals never let US Centcom lose sight of the fact that their country was/is always available as a strategic staging area for US operations. Which brings us to the present. Munir and Centcom commander Michael Kurilla go back a long way. Both assumed their current positions in 2022 and have hosted each other more than shouldn't be a surprise that last week, the American general called Pakistan 'a phenomenal partner' in the fight against IS-Khorasan. Kurilla clearly thinks the military partnership with Pakistan can, and should, exist separately from the one with was the first person Munir called to say that the Abbey Gate bomber Mohammad Sharifullah, a.k.a. Jaffar, had been caught. He then requested that the message be passed on to the president. Result: a special mention in Trump's address to so it will go. Until it won't. Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. How a nudge from Cyrus Mistry helped TCS unlock a USD1 billion opportunity Operation Sindoor, Turkey, Bangladesh played out as India hosted global airlines after 42 years Benchmarked with BSE 1000, this index fund will diversify your bets. But at a cost. How individual bankruptcy law can halt suicides by failed businessmen Explainer: The RBI's LAF corridor and its role in rate transmission Stock picks of the week: 5 stocks with consistent score improvement and return potential of more than 32% in 1 year Defence stocks: Black & white, and many shades of grey. 10 stocks with an upside potential of up to 30% Stock Radar: 40% drop from highs! Swiggy stocks make a rounding bottom pattern; time to buy the dip?
Time of India
33 minutes ago
- Time of India
PM reaches Cyprus; President Nikos Christodoulides receives Modi at airport
Prime Minister Modi's visit to Cyprus, the first in over two decades, aims to strengthen strategic ties, leveraging Cyprus's location and stance against Turkish expansionism. Discussions focused on Cyprus's role in the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor and energy diversification. Both nations share similar views on international issues and support a UN-backed resolution for the Cyprus issue. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads On his maiden trip abroad since Operation Sindoor , Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday sought to expand India's strategic ties with Cyprus, taking advantage of its location in the Mediterranean region and its principled position on Turkish a significant gesture, Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides received Modi at the airport. This is the first visit to Cyprus by an Indian PM in over two the President hosted the PM for the dinner, Modi engaged with business leaders eager to deepen partnership. Cyprus's maritime connectivity and strategic location position it as a potential hub in the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor . Cyprus is a key player in Eastern Mediterranean natural gas exploration and can assist India in diversifying its energy sources. Cyprus' strong ties with Israel, Greece and Egypt could also lead to cooperation in the region. Cyprus will also hold the rotating presidency of the EU Council in whose northern part has been under Turkish occupation since 1974, has been among India's steadfast supporters on the Kashmir issue . Both countries support similar positions on major regional and international issues and have collaborated constructively in the UN, Commonwealth and other has consistently endorsed the solution of the Cyprus issue based on UNSC resolutions, international law and the EU acquis. India supports a bi-zonal bi-communal federation based on UN Resolutions as a solution to the Cyprus problem.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
PM Modi participates in business meeting in Cyprus to boost bilateral ties
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday participated in a business roundtable here with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and called for strengthening bilateral cooperation in areas such as trade, investment and defence. The prime minister, who arrived here earlier in the day, addressed business leaders from India and Cyprus at the meeting. "Further cementing investment, technology & business linkages," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X, attaching pictures from the event. "PM @narendramodi accompanied by President @Christodulides addressed a business roundtable, which saw participation by leading business leaders of Cyprus and Indian companies," he said. "The leaders called for strengthening economic ties in the fields of trade, investment, financial services, fintech, start-up, innovation, AI, IT, logistics, defence, connectivity, shipping and mobility," he added. In a video message on X ahead of the meeting, Jaiswal said that at the forum, "ideas about how to strengthen India-Cyprus business partnership in newer areas of engagement such as startup, innovation, digital payments, shipping, shipbuilding, ports etc will be identified, talked about, and discussed." Modi's two-day visit to Cyprus is the first by an Indian prime minister in over two decades. Upon his arrival, he was welcomed at the Larnaca International Airport by Christodoulides in a special gesture. During the visit, the two leaders will also hold talks to strengthen bilateral ties. Modi's visit will "reaffirm the shared commitment of the two countries to deepen bilateral ties and strengthen India's engagement with the Mediterranean region and the European Union," according to a statement by the MEA. Bilateral trade between India and Cyprus has remained "steady amidst fluctuations" over recent years, and was USD 136.96 million for April 2023-March 2024, according to the MEA.
