Delhi Metro is set to overhaul its CCTV surveillance network with an AI-enabled, IP-based system that can detect track intrusions, overcrowding, loitering and unusual passenger behaviour, while also tracking a person even after a change of clothes, reported PTI.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) plans to replace the ageing analogue CCTV infrastructure at 76 locations across its network. The proposed upgrade covers Red Line 1 between Rithala and Shaheed Sthal, Blue Line 3 between Noida and Dwarka Sector 21, and Line 4 between Vaishali and Yamuna Bank.
The locations include several busy stations such as Kashmere Gate, Tis Hazari, Rajouri Garden, Karol Bagh, Mandi House, Barakhamba Road, Anand Vihar, Vaishali and Noida City Centre. Depots, the Operations Control Centre and the Backup Control Centre are also covered under the plan.
AI cameras to flag overcrowding, unusual behaviour
The new IP cameras will be linked to DMRC’s existing central CCTV network, allowing live feeds and recorded footage to be monitored from a central location. Video analytics will be used to identify situations that could require intervention.
“It will detect overcrowding, excessive queues, loitering and camera tampering, while also learning routine activity to flag unusual movements or behaviour,” it mentioned.
The proposed system will also focus on track safety. It will generate an alert when a person is detected on the track or crosses a designated line when no train is present. The document specifies that the track intrusion detection feature should work with “over 90 per cent accuracy”.
The upgraded system will also allow operators to search recorded footage using characteristics such as a person’s gender, clothing colour and age group. A photograph can also be uploaded to assist in identifying a person, according to the document.
Person tracking to continue even after clothes change
Once a person is identified, the proposed system will be able to track their movement across multiple cameras and present the route and timeline together. The corporation said “this should work even if the person’s clothing changes during the specified period.”
At the central monitoring end, a dashboard will provide information on the status of cameras, recording servers, decoders and central servers. It will also display CCTV-related events, alarms and alerts and integrate with the existing video management system.
DMRC said the upgraded network will provide complete station coverage by combining the new IP cameras with existing IP cameras. The system will also be connected to video walls at Metro Bhawan, Vinod Nagar Depot, IT Park and Shastri Park to facilitate centralised monitoring.
The existing CCTV network has 2,531 analogue cameras. Kashmere Gate currently has 32 cameras, while Barakhamba Road has 60 and Mandi House 37. Karol Bagh has 41 cameras and Anand Vihar has 50, according to the document.
The CCTV upgrade is scheduled to be completed within one year. The new system will subsequently have a five-year defect liability period, DMRC said.