Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has ignited a new era of innovation by launching the Rail Tech Policy and digitizing the Railway Claims Tribunal (RCT) under the landmark ’52 Reforms in 52 Weeks’ program. Delivered in Mumbai, these reforms – numbers three and four – target systemic upgrades to enhance safety, efficiency, and accessibility.
Central to the Rail Tech Policy is inclusivity: it invites innovators, startups, industries, and academia to contribute via an intuitive Rail Tech Portal. Process simplifications are paired with generous funding boosts – expansion grants tripled and prototype/test grants doubled – to lower barriers and spur development.
Focus areas include groundbreaking solutions such as AI elephant detection to avert accidents, coach-integrated fire alarms, drone patrols for track integrity, stress sensors on rails, parcel load optimizers, solar coach panels, cleaning automation via AI, fog-weather visibility aids, and smart dispute resolution platforms.
Vaishnaw outlined the policy’s vision: ‘A fully digital, end-to-end system where anyone with innovative tech can plug into Railways effortlessly.’ This replaces outdated vendor rigidity with agile, trial-based adoption, fostering a vibrant ecosystem.
The RCT digitization introduces e-RCT, an AI-powered platform revolutionizing claims management. From remote filing to rapid adjudication, it ensures transparency and speed, empowering passengers and stakeholders across India with a modern, equitable justice mechanism.