The U.S. Division of Transportation awarded Southern California’s commuter rail system $1.3 million to develop a man-made intelligence-powered safety system to detect surprising motion on Metrolink tracks.
The expertise would purpose to robotically decelerate or cease a prepare when cameras and sensors verified the presence of an individual, automobile or particles, Metrolink mentioned in regards to the proposed “monitor intrusion detection” system. The expertise would combine with current GPS that notifies prepare crew a couple of potential monitor hazard, equivalent to a homeless encampment or a pedestrian.
“If it succeeds, this venture is not going to solely enhance the security of our passengers and crew, it’s going to immediately profit pedestrians, cyclists, drivers and everybody else who interacts with our system,” Los Angeles Metropolis Council President and Metrolink Board member Paul Krekorian mentioned in an announcement in regards to the Wednesday announcement.
The present system, which can also be linked to the U.S. earthquake-warning system, depends closely on what folks see and report in actual time. Whereas it accounts for human error by robotically stopping a prepare if an engineer doesn’t reply to an alert, the brand new expertise would create a predictive mannequin to higher perceive substantial hazard, Metrolink public relations supervisor Meredith Yeoman mentioned.
Metrolink has up to now bought two AI-equipped cameras for this system, which shall be examined throughout an 18-month window on a 1.5-mile stretch between Haskell Avenue and Van Nuys Boulevard by means of Van Nuys and Panorama Metropolis. If profitable, Metrolink may apply for a multi-million greenback grant to broaden this system throughout its total community.
Metrolink is the third largest commuter rail system within the nation.
Passenger and freight trains on Metrolink service strains had been concerned in 53 automobile and pedestrian “strikes” between July and December 2023, Metrolink mentioned. Practically half of these incidents had been deemed suicides.
That complete is a 39% enhance from the earlier yr.
“This has the potential to be a game-changing expertise for security within the railroad business,” Yeoman mentioned about what could be a first-of-its form program.
Metrolink mentioned it’s additionally working with legislation enforcement, group teams and specialists to extend monitor monitoring to stop accidents.
The federal grant is a part of the Biden administration’s plan to enhance railroad security nationwide. Earlier this month, the Division of Transportation introduced a brand new rule that might require not less than two crew members on all passenger and freight trains.
