AI Powers Indian Railways: Smarter Ticketing, Crowd Control Arrive by 2025

India's vast railway network is poised for a tech transformation. By 2025, artificial intelligence will be key to smoother ticketing, better crowd control, and enhanced passenger experience.

Smarter Ticketing with Aadhaar

The IRCTC app will require Aadhaar authentication for online bookings. This aims to reduce fraud and eliminate duplicate bookings, while ensuring accountability for claimed seats.

The system uses biometrics or OTP verification linked to Aadhaar. While improving security, this could raise privacy issues and exclude those without Aadhaar-linked access.

Predicting Demand with AI

AI models will forecast passenger demand on popular routes and during peak seasons. These systems use historical data and trends to estimate seat availability and waitlist probabilities.

Some interfaces now offer real-time predictions for waitlist clearance. This added transparency will aid passengers in better travel planning.

Fighting Fraudulent Bookings

Pattern recognition tools identify suspicious booking behavior to combat bulk booking. These models analyze transaction sequences and user activity for anomalies.

Graph-based fraud detection, similar to fintech, monitors for coordinated attempts. Both human and computer checks verify flagged transactions.

Managing Crowds Intelligently

Major stations are using AI-powered CCTV analytics to monitor crowd density. These systems alert control rooms to overcrowding, allowing for flow redirection and access control.

For large events like festivals, AI helps predict and manage crowds. The cameras scan for unusual behavior, alerting security to potential issues.

Multilingual Assistance with BHASHINI

The BHASHINI multilingual AI engine will power announcements and chatbots. This will help passengers in multiple Indian languages at stations and on trains.

Automated bots provide platform information and delay updates in any language. Select junctions already use density analytics to reroute passengers during peak times.

The Road Ahead for Indian Railways

The integration of BHASHINI into systems like NTES and RailMadad is in advanced testing. Benefits include reduced booking fraud and more inclusive language access.

However, challenges remain: privacy concerns, technology reliability, and the need for staff training. Integrating AI across existing systems also poses an administrative hurdle.

Still, AI offers a chance to modernize India's railways. Balancing technology with citizen rights will be key to a better transportation future.