Patna: General manager of East Central Railway (ECR), Chhatrasal Singh, on Friday inaugurated an advanced AI-based system at Ara coaching depot under Danapur division to modernise railway maintenance.Danapur DRM Jayant Kumar Choudhary said the system automates coach cleaning and water refilling, while smart sensors detect alarm chain pulling (ACP) and other anomalies. "AI integration will boost monitoring, safety and passenger comfort," he added."The AI-based system, a first in Indian Railways, marks a major step toward cleaner, safer, and more efficient services," said Singh.Danapur ADRM Aadhar Raj, credited with developing the system, said a live demo was successfully tested on the Ara-Durg South Bihar Express.

"The device alerts staff or control rooms to issues like fire, brake binding, hot axle, water shortage, foul odour, ACP, and coach breakdowns via ultrasonic sensors," he said.Initially, all rakes of eight long-distance trains from Ara will be equipped, followed by wider implementation across ECR.Each device costs Rs 1 lakh, and fitting an entire 24-coach rake costs Rs 24 lakh. The system was developed by a Danapur team over the past year. Singh announced a Rs 1 lakh cash reward for the team.