A network of more than 5600 CCTV cameras with “artificial intelligence” is predicting disasters before they happen in Melbourne’s train system. The cameras alert Metro Trains staff of potentially dangerous incidents — like a car caught on a level crossing or a pram which has fallen on to the tracks — so trains can be halted. “We’ve got artificial intelligence within the CCTV system,” Metro Trains chief executive Andrew Lezala said. “If it spots something it’s not seen before, or a different pattern than it’s used to, it will raise an alarm.”
Mr Lezala said that, for example, the cameras could sense a fight on a station platform because of the speed and nature of the actions of those involved. The cameras then alert station masters and authorised officers while feeding back into Metrol, the command centre for Melbourne’s train network. A team of 140 staff is responsible for managing 780,000 individual journeys on more than 2200 services every day.
This year, 92 per cent of Melbourne’s trains have run on time. Mr Lezala said about half of the delayed services were due to trespassers, graffiti incidents, sick passengers and police requests to halt services. He said all frontline staff had been armed with smartphones and tablets to ensure swift communication about incidents between stations, trains and Metrol.
