South Central Railway has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay today i.e., 05^th August, 2026. The MoU aims to develop suitable framework and models to analyse junction or yard capacity/congestion. This will help towards strengthening safety monitoring and improving operational efficiency across the Railway network. Shri Sanjay Kumar Srivastava, General Manager, SCR; Shri D. Anjaneyulu Reddy, Principal Chief Engineer, SCR; Dr. R. Gopalakrishnan, Divisional Railway Manager, Secunderabad Division and other senior officials were present o­n the occasion. Professor Shri Milind Sohoni from IIT Bombay and team joined the meeting through video conference.

            IIT Bombay team has been working o­n the problem for the last two years, using inputs from yard diagrams, speeds over points, train length, acceleration characteristics, interlocking and historical data logger information, visual tools and scenario simulation tools (increasing trains in the same yard configuration or evaluating alternative yard configurations) and this MOU is formalising this partnership.

Under the MoU, IIT Bombay has undertaken the pilot project to develop a futuristic software to analyze large volumes of raw signaling data generated by Railway data logger and convert it into understandable data o­n train movements, complex detentions etc. The analytical tool being developed will help reconstruct train movements from signalling records and generate visual representations of train operations such as through movements, crossings, shunting and detention. These insights will assist Railway officials in identifying operational bottlenecks, studying train detention patterns and improving the efficiency of train handling while reinforcing safety monitoring.

The pilot project will be implemented in a phased manner, beginning with data validation, movement analysis, visualisation tools and development of safety and efficiency metrics. Based o­n the outcomes of the pilot project, the collaboration envisages further expansion to larger station layouts, enhanced analytics dashboards and eventual integration with Railway signalling systems for real-time movement analysis and operational support.

Speaking o­n the occasion, Shri Sanjay Kumar Srivastava, General Manager, South Central Railway expressed thanks to IIT Bombay for joining hands with SCR and stated that this collaboration will help develop a solution which will efficiently address the challenges being faced by Indian Railways. He stated that, rail traffic is consistently increasing every day, and expansion of infrastructure, especially in yards, is quite limited due to the yards being located in congested and populated areas. Hence, it becomes necessary that every investment is backed by careful analysis and sound engineering, he commented.

The General Manager stated that this type of futuristic tool, where we can simulate various conditions and analyse the impact and interactions of various factors, will help in enhancing the operational efficiency. He stated that minor changes in yard remodelling and interlocking patterns can have a strong impact o­n train movements, which cannot be visualized beforehand. The General Manager opined that the ink pact between SCR and IIT Bombay will be definitely helpful for optimal utilization of available assets.