China uses AI to manage world's largest high-speed rail system

Before China began building the world’s first high-speed rail line 15 years ago, critics predicted the biggest challenge would be maintenance. Critics said maintenance would become a burden, as the track system would eventually age and create problems that would need to be addressed.

China has now fully switched to using artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the operation and maintenance of its railway network. (Photo: ximushushu / iStock)

Therefore, China has now completely switched to using artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the operation and maintenance of its railway network. This AI system is capable of accurately predicting faults and giving warnings before problems arise. Therefore, it plays an important role in the timely maintenance of high-speed railway lines.

This 45,000-kilometer high-speed rail network is the largest on Earth and is controlled by an AI system in Beijing. According to engineers involved in the project, the AI system has an accuracy of about 89 percent, and has achieved several important milestones during its operation.

In fact, this AI system processes a large amount of data in real time across the country. It is also capable of alerting maintenance teams of unusual situations within 40 minutes.

With AI, the number of minor track faults that have appeared on China’s operating high-speed rail lines has dropped by 80% over the past year. None of these high-speed rail lines have received any warnings to slow down due to unusual problems on the tracks.

Liu Daoan, a senior engineer at the infrastructure inspection center of China State Railway Corporation, noted that the AI system works really well. In an article published in the China Railway Academic Journal, Liu Daoan stated: “ The AI system helps on-site teams conduct re-inspections and repairs as quickly as possible .”

China's high-speed rail is the fastest in the world. It currently operates trains at 350 kilometers per hour, with plans to increase that to 400 kilometers per hour next year. The Beijing government also plans to continue expanding the line until it connects all cities with populations over 500,000.

Meanwhile, the US rail network is facing predictable challenges, with poor maintenance routinely posing safety risks. The average number of derailments has exceeded 2,800 per year over the past 50 years.

More than a decade ago, countries like Germany and Switzerland first recognized the possibility of using AI to manage their railways. Both countries are trying to use AI to improve their railway networks, although their networks are smaller than China’s.

HUYNH DUNG (Source: Interestingengineering)

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