Visakhapatnam station trials AI assistant to guide passengers

South Coast Railway (SCoR) General Manager Sandeep Mathur, accompanied by Divisional Railway Manager Lalit Bohra and senior zonal officials, conducted an inspection of passenger amenities at Visakhapatnam Railway Station on Monday, August 17, 2026. The visit focused on assessing the condition and functioning of key facilities and exploring ways to enhance commuter convenience.

A major highlight of the inspection was a live demonstration of the 'Sarika AI' passenger assistance system, a prototype voice-based interface currently undergoing trials at the station. The system has been developed jointly by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS), Ninja Media AI Ad Tech Pvt. Ltd., and the Commercial Department of the Visakhapatnam Division.

Sarika AI is designed to provide natural voice interaction in nine languages, making it accessible to a wide range of passengers. It delivers real-time information on train schedules, platform allocations, delay updates, and coach positions. Additionally, the system guides commuters to essential station facilities such as booking counters, waiting halls, cloakrooms, food courts, drinking water taps, lifts, and medical assistance points. The setup is deployed in both humanoid and kiosk forms at suitable locations across the station complex.

Following the live demonstration, the General Manager suggested user-friendly refinements to streamline passenger interactions. The suggestions aim to make the interface more intuitive and responsive to diverse commuter needs.

The project is being executed in two phases. Phase-I currently focuses on field demonstrations and system testing at Visakhapatnam station. Phase-II plans to integrate the Sarika AI tool directly into the official RailOne mobile application, which would extend its reach to passengers across the railway network.

The inspection also covered other passenger amenities, with officials reviewing cleanliness, signage, lighting, and crowd management measures. Railway staff were engaged in discussions on further improving the overall travel experience at one of the region's busiest stations.

The introduction of AI-based assistance is part of Indian Railways' broader push toward digitalisation and improved passenger services. By testing the system at Visakhapatnam, the zonal railway aims to evaluate its effectiveness in real-world conditions before a wider rollout.