NEW DELHI: It was an unusual visit by two Union Cabinet ministers of the Modi government to the Railways’ central war room at Rail Bhawan on Thursday, particularly after the Monsoon Session of Parliament was adjourned sine die.
Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju and Union Minister for Labour and Employment and Youth Affairs and Sports Dr Mansukh Mandaviya jointly visited Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s chamber before they were taken to the war room set up at the ministry.
Vaishnaw explained the functioning of the Railways’ War Room to his Cabinet colleagues, showcasing how it uses live railway station feeds, AI-based systems and operational data to monitor railway activities and support timely action.
Vaishnaw said the War Room provides live feeds from railway stations, covering platforms, foot-over bridges and areas outside the stations. He said live feeds from major stations such as New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin are also monitored from the central facility.
Officials can zoom into individual camera feeds to examine specific locations in greater detail, he explained.
"The system can respond to prompts and provide information about what happened at a particular location, helping officials understand incidents more quickly", the Railway Minister informed his Cabinet colleagues.
"During rush periods, festivals and high-footfall occasions, the War Room can be used to monitor activity across stations and keep track of changing passenger movement. The system also tracks train movement and delays, helping officials identify which trains are delayed and understand the reason for the delay", Vaishnaw said.
He said the information enables railway teams to assess situations and determine the action required to prevent further delays.
