NFR and IITG collaborate on advanced bridge monitoring technologies

Guwahati, Dec 17: A high-level technical discussion and demonstration session was held recently be- tween the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati at the NFR (Construction) headquarters at Maligaon here.

A number of the state-of- the-art technologies for automated bridge monitoring and robotic underwater bridge maintenance were discussed during the occasion and a detailed roadmap for collaboration between the two institutions on this aspect was also drawn up.

One of the technologies discussed during the session was an Advanced Underwater Inspection and Maintenance System of railway bridges, which will use robotics and AI-based systems to address the unique challenges of underwater bridge maintenance, including detection of faults and retrofitting.

Another major area of discussion was a Command Centre-based Predictive Maintenance System for automatic monitoring of railway bridges, which is a cutting-edge initiative aimed at enhancing bridge safety through predictive analytics.

The session was held in the presence of NFR General Manager Chetan Kumar Shrivastava, NFR (Construction) General Manager Arun Kumar Chaudhary, and other senior officials of the zone.

Senior professors from various departments of IIT Guwahati were also present during the discussion session.

It is noteworthy that NFR had recently signed strategic memorandums of under- standing (MoUs) with IIT Guwahati for innovative solutions to enhance safety, efficiency, and sustainability in rail infrastructure.

"The collaboration between NFR and IIT Guwahati sets a benchmark for blending academic research with practical implementation in the railway sector.

This initiative is a significant step toward modernizing India's railway network while prioritizing safety, efficiency, and sustainability," NFR Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, said.