Indian Railways will install black boxes on the engines for enhanced train monitoring, taking a cue from aeroplanes. The West Central Railway has equipped train engines with crew voice and video recording equipment in an effort to bolster security measures.
The black box will eventually be put in the engines of all passenger trains throughout the nation. The assistant loco pilot and the loco pilot will both be keeping an eye on the train as it is moving. Additionally, a CCTV camera has been mounted in front of the engine to give the railroad authorities the third set of eyes on the track and increase their awareness of potential obstructions for the train.
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Each engine will have 6 to 8 IP-based digital CCTV cameras, an 8-channel NVR, and 4 GB hard drives attached. The cameras have a built-in microphone to enable voice recording. Front and back cameras are put on the engine’s roof, and each of Cabins 01 and 02 has two cameras as well. The driver and the backup driver’s video and audio will be captured. It will be beneficial during the investigation of the tragic event of a railway accident so that remote monitoring is possible. These CCTV cameras will be IP-based and it is impossible to routinely remove their recording.
First in, first out principles will apply to the video data storage period of 90 days. In order for this gadget to remain usable throughout the whole year, it has been designed to resist temperatures between minus 10 and 55 degrees Celsius. A night vision capability that works in low light is also available.
At the Itarsi, New Katni Junction, and Tughlakabad locomotive sheds, CCTV cameras are being placed. There are now 55 locomotives on the West Central Railway that have a crew voice and video recording system installed.