Indian Railways is at the forefront of deploying digital solutions to modernize its operations and drive efficiency across its rail network. Indian Railways (IR) is actively embracing automation and instrumentation to improve its maintenance practices for early detection of defects and deficiencies in rolling assets. The objective is to implement machine-assisted automatic identification of glitches in the Rolling Stock and ensuring timely intervention before any catastrophic failures occur. This transition signifies a change in thinking in the maintenance approach of Indian Railways, moving from traditional “Time Based Maintenance” to “Condition Based Predictive Maintenance”. The objective is to enhance the reliability, availability, and safety of Rolling Stock during operations, thereby improving overall efficiency and passenger safety.
The Online Monitoring of Rolling Stock System (OMRS) is an innovative digital solution adopted by Indian Railways to enhance operational efficiency and facilitate real-time monitoring of rolling stock. This white paper provides an overview of OMRS, its key features, benefits, and the impact it has on the Indian Railways network.
Introduction
The Indian Railways network stands as one of the world’s largest and busiest railway systems, facilitating the transportation of millions of passengers and tons of freight daily. To ensure the safe operation of a vast fleet of coaches, locos, and wagons (Rolling Stocks), efficient maintenance practices are of utmost importance. Currently, the inspection process for Rolling
Stock in the Indian Railways relies on manual inspections. These inspections are conducted either trackside through Rolling-in-Examination or through pit examinations when the Rolling Stock is stationary or moving at a slow speed. Trained personnel visually inspect the Rolling Stock, either in pits or at trackside locations. However, this inspection method heavily depends on the individual judgment of the inspectors.
However, operating and managing such a vast and intricate network necessitated the implementation of sophisticated monitoring systems. To begin with Indian Railways is implementing the Online Monitoring of Rolling Stock (OMRS) to enhance maintenance practices. OMRS comprises a way-side inspection system that includes the Acoustic Bearing Detector (ABD) or Rail Bearing Acoustic Monitor (RailBAM) and the Wheel
Impact Load Detector (WILD) or Wheel Condition Monitor (WCM). This system is designed to detect faults in the bearings and wheels of rolling assets.
OMRS System
OMRS operates as an automated system placed at wayside, actively identifying defective wheels and bearings before they result in failures. By doing so, it promotes efficient utilisation of coaches, wagons, and locomotives. The system continuously monitors the health of each rolling stock unit within a train during run, enabling the early detection of faulty bearings and wheels. In real-time, OMRS generates defect reports and communicates alerts, allowing prompt corrective action to be taken. It consists of following sub-systems:
- Acoustic Bearing Detector (ABD)/ Bearing Acoustic Monitor (RailBAM) gives an early warning on defects in the bearing box, before reaching the stage of hot box.
- Wheel Impact Load Detector (WILD)/Wheel Condition Monitor (WCM) system measures the wheel impacts on tracks to identify the flat surface on wheels in Rolling Stock. This system is based on an Accelerometer device to measure the wheel impacts.
- PhotoTAG system is used for vehicle identification using Visual (photographic) identification technique.
Integration with Maintenance Applications of IR
To effectively respond to the alerts generated by the OMRS system, it is crucial to ensure that the relevant maintainers receive timely notifications. This is where the maintenance applications of Indian Railways (IR) come into play. The alerts generated by OMRS system are collected at the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) through an API gateway. Subsequently, these alerts are filtered based on the specific rolling stock and forwarded to the respective maintenance applications.
Within the maintenance applications, the system identifies the corresponding rolling stock and gathers essential information such as its last maintenance record, last maintainer etc. The alert is then attached to the specific rolling stock, ensuring that it receives the necessary attention from the maintainer. To proceed with further operations, it is mandatory for the maintainer to provide positive feedback or confirmation regarding the resolution of the issue. Additionally, the system also sends SMS alerts to the concerned maintainer.
This integration of OMRS with the maintenance applications of IR streamlines the entire process, ensuring that alerts are appropriately directed to the responsible maintainer.
Current Status
1st OMRS system has been installed at Panipat in Ambala-Delhi section of Northern Railway in November 2017 and a Central Control Room termed as “National Command Centre (NCC)” for monitoring of all OMRS sites has been set-up at Delhi Kishanganj in March 2018. After successful performance of 1st OMRS system at Panipat in March 2018, progressive installation of the remaining systems is being done. As of date, 25 OMRS systems have been commissioned.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the implementation of the Online Monitoring of Rolling Stock (OMRS) system in Indian Railways marks a significant step towards enhancing maintenance practices and ensuring the safe and efficient operation of the rolling stock fleet. OMRS, with its automated detection capabilities for defective wheels and bearings, enables timely identification of faults and facilitates proactive maintenance interventions.
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By continuously monitoring the health of each rolling stock unit and generating real-time alerts, OMRS enables prompt corrective actions to be taken. The integration of OMRS with the maintenance applications of Indian Railways ensures that alerts reach the concerned maintainers, allowing them to gather relevant information and attach alerts to the specific rolling stock. The requirement for positive feedback from maintainers before further utilization of rolling stock ensures the reliability and safety of operations.
However, the current practice of categorizing the alerts as either Defect or No Defect in rolling stock still relies on the manual process which may introduce subjectivity and inefficiencies. Indian Railways should reconsider this approach and replace it with more scientific approach to better harness the automation process.
Furthermore, OMRS alone is not the sole solution for comprehensive monitoring and maintenance. Indian Railways should complement it by integrating other way-side and onboard Internet of Things (IoT) devices and sensor systems such as MVIS (Machine Vision based Inspection System) for detection of hanging parts, HAHW (Hot Axle box Hot Wheel Detector) for detection of hot axles etc. This augmentation will further enhance the reliability of the overall monitoring process by capturing a wider range of data points and enabling real-time monitoring of critical components.
Views expressed by: Lokesh Singh, General Manager & Abhishek Srivastava, Sr. Project Engineer (CMM), Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS).