Indian Railways is taking artificial intelligence (AI) deeper into an aspect of train travel that gets a lot of eyeballs – pantry car and kitchen operations. Its new vision for pantries and kitchens is centred around the concept of creating an additional technological barrier around India’s railway catering operations.
The railway plan is to install AI-enabled CCTV cameras in North, East Central, East Coast, South East, South West and South Central railways that will supervise the pantries and kitchens involved in preparing, storing and serving food.
Kitchens on the move
The first phase of the AI-based initiative is likely to be rolled out along the routes covered by East Central Railways. It’s relevant because ECR has 73 pantry car and train-side vending services and 62 catering base kitchens – thus linking the operations around the output of food with where it will ultimately be served.
This will require careful real-time monitoring of kitchens, prep and serving areas through continuous video feeds, as opposed to traditional dry runs or inspections. AI-powered cameras can be set up to identify certain events or conditions and prompt the monitoring agency to respond when necessary.
The focus is therefore not just on expanding the number of cameras, but on creating a faster feedback system for monitoring all operations.
Why AI to ‘watch’ your train food?
Food passes through several hands and stages when you are travelling long-distance by train. Preparation, storage, packaging, movement and ultimately serving are each points at which standards might nosedive.
Traditional, physical inspection of each stage is hard to sustain, particularly over the duration of a long-distance journey.
The goal with AI-enabled video cameras is to maintain accountability for long periods of time, not just take snaps of a specific station, event or stage. Such technology could allow authorities to monitor multiple trains or caterers and identify issues that require immediate intervention.
This could be a boon for both the catering authorities and the end customers/passengers, whose experience hinges on the quality and hygiene of train service.
How AI is already ‘watching’ Indian railway kitchens
The current range of railway catering operations already includes a significant technology component in the form of AI-enabled CCTV cameras. For instance, India’s Catering Services can monitor hygiene procedures in addition to existing QR-based meal packet checks, third-party audits, quality monitoring and sampling of food.
AI and CCTV are already being deployed at base kitchens in many stations. What is new is the suggestion that pantry cars could be added to the ‘list of things AI can track’ for a quick day-to-day check of routine operations.
From checklists to continuous monitoring
AI surveillance systems have the potential to allow mobile/cross-train monitoring, providing a closer coverage of what goes on in kitchens and pantries beyond the traditional focus on spot checks and periodic audits.
Many station-based surveillance cameras already serve as conduits for real-time tracking of trains, and now stations are looking to move on from manual CCTV checks to AI-based high-frequency video streams.
This would establish a regularity of monitoring that did not require an individual officer to make a report after an incident. Railways can then get into a cycle of habitual corrective actions and take ownership of service standards.
How this impacts train users
Food served on a train is different from restaurant fare, and people consuming it don’t always have many options available after setting off on a train. Confidence that the food on a train is handled and prepared under strict supervision, therefore, is important.
Indian Railways has already introduced multiple measures to bring more clarity and transparency to the entire process, from QR codes on meal packets explaining the inspection process, licensing and packing information, food sampling, hygiene audits and entry-exit and passenger feedback. What is being suggested now is to add a better daily focus on what happens inside kitchens and other prep areas.
If issues can be identified early, corrective steps can be taken easily.
A broader role for AI
The rationale for extending the use of AI-enabled video cameras to kitchen and pantry operations is also the fact that Indian Railways is increasingly considering wider applications for AI-enabled surveillance – covering suburban stations, platform entry/exit points, major stations and entire railway zones.
Earlier in the year, it identified plans to install such technology at New Delhi Railway Station covering platforms, concourse and entry/exit points of the station.
The AI ambit, therefore, extends well beyond security and tracking to actively managing mundane, everyday services.
What happens next
The use of more digital cameras and AI will depend not just on their numbers but on how adept they are at correctly flagging issues and raising alerts before an incident arises. The bigger question for Indian Railways would then be how to link this system to a clear process of rectification and ensure accountability.
The railways might find that connecting the AI-enabled video monitoring with existing inspection protocols and passenger feedback could work to enhance service accountability across its network. That would be a real win for its customers.
