After Odisha Train Crash, Odia Professor At IIT-Kharagpur Leads Project For Tamper-Proof Railway Signalling System

Bhubaneswar: Alarmed at the triple-train crash in Odisha that claimed the lives of at least 293 people, the Indian Railways seeks to strengthen the signaling system by putting in place a tamper-proof mechanism with a focus on safety.

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur has been entrusted with the task of developing a tamper-proof system. The premier institute is developing a tamper-proof signalling system based on blockchain technology for the Railways.

Leading the prestigious project is Aurobinda Routray from Odisha, a professor posted at the premier educational institute. With enhanced safety measures, the new system would complement the existing Data Logger which is considered the ‘Black Box’ of rolling stock, sources said.

A professor of Electrical and Electronics Engineering department of IIT Kharagpur, Routray is now working on its design in association with Railway officials. The design of the system is likely to be ready in another 15 days.

Stating that the team is working in close coordination with Railway officials to prepare a chart, Routray said the design is being prepared and work will proceed further once the ministry approves it.

Noting that blockchain system is a tamper-proof database that can never be hacked or manipulated, he said it also enables all persons working in the train management system including the loco pilot, signal manager and station manager to access real-time data. The system is widely used in crypto currency and banking operations.

In fact, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had assigned IIT Bhubaneswar and Kharagpur to develop modern train communication, train control and security systems much before the horrific train accident that took place at Bahanaga in Odisha’s Balasore district on June 2, sources said.

The train’s safety and security can be enhanced with the blockchain technology as this is a tamper-proof database. All information will be transacted through this in a real-time manner and will be recorded, Routray said.

If the design of blockchain technology system is approved by the Railways, a 50-member team from IIT Kharagpur and IIT Bhubaneswar will be engaged in the project and it will be completed in two years, he added.

According to Routray, the blockchain system would provide several benefits, such as increased accountability, safety and efficiency. Overall, the new blockchain system would be a significant improvement over the current system. All events occurring in the train and control room would be recorded securely and no one can tamper with it or bypass it.