6-7-2023 (SINGAPORE) A new artificial intelligence-powered video analytics system, known as iSafe, has been implemented on the Bukit Panjang LRT (BPLRT) Line to monitor and prevent incidents of individuals falling onto the train tracks at stations. Rail operator SMRT unveiled the system at an event held at the BPLRT depot at Junction 10 on Thursday, as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance passenger safety.
The iSafe system utilizes video feeds from 104 cameras installed across the 13 LRT stops to analyze and monitor station platforms around the clock. It is designed to alert SMRT staff immediately when it detects a person on the tracks or someone loitering near the platform edge.
During the launch, Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor emphasized that while track intrusions are rare, they can have serious consequences. She expressed that the transport community, including the Land Transport Authority and public transport operators, is continuously seeking ways to minimize such incidents.
While LRT station platforms already feature fixed barriers with gaps for boarding and alighting, Dr. Khor mentioned that there is limited space to install platform screen doors, which are present at all above-ground MRT stations.
Over the past decade, there have been two fatalities and one injury resulting from passengers falling onto the LRT tracks.
According to SMRT, the iSafe system has already detected one track intrusion since its operations commenced on July 1, with an accuracy rate of 99.8% in detecting such incidents. The operator expects the system’s accuracy to improve over time as the software learns from real-life data.
Currently, the system identifies people by monitoring specific features such as the head and torso. However, SMRT aims to enhance its capabilities, allowing it to differentiate between humans and objects positioned on the edge of station platforms or on the tracks.
Video information from the stations is transmitted via fiber-optic cables to the line’s operations control center at the Ten Mile Junction LRT Depot, almost in real-time. When the system detects a track intrusion, an alarm will sound at the control center. Additionally, SMRT staff will receive visual cues through a pop-up window, which includes a screenshot highlighting the intrusion and a real-time CCTV feed of the situation on the ground.
Once the SMRT staff confirms the presence of a track intrusion, traction power will be shut down to halt trains running on the tracks. While power restoration takes only a few seconds, the time required to address an intrusion depends on the circumstances, such as whether an individual on the track is injured and cannot be safely moved.
The iSafe system can also identify instances of people loitering in the “keep clear” zones on station platforms. In such cases, announcements will be made to remind commuters to stay away from those areas and stand behind the yellow line.
Prior to the implementation of iSafe, track intrusion monitoring was conducted manually, with staff manually reviewing CCTV camera footage around the clock.
SMRT emphasized that the iSafe system complements its broader approach to improving passenger safety at stations, which includes the use of signs to remind commuters to use emergency stop buttons during incidents like track intrusions, as well as signs on the tracks providing directions for commuters to safely return to the platform using emergency exits.
