AI Shield will protect Polish trains. IDEAS NCBR and the Railway Security Guard signed a cooperation agreement

The Railway Security Guard has over 3,000 employees who supervise approximately 19,000 km of railway line. In 2022 alone, almost 7,400 crimes and offenses were recorded in the railway area, among the most troublesome was the theft of the traction network. The solutions prepared by scientists from IDEAS NCBR are intended to increase the effectiveness of SOK in combating threats.

‘The signed agreement will allow for the development of tools which will ensure the safety of broadly understood railway infrastructure, including the prevention of undesirable events. This will contribute to increasing the effectiveness of detecting perpetrators of offenses, devastation and other activities aimed at railway infrastructure which is supervised by the Railway Protection Guard,’ says the SOK Commander, Dr. Eng. Józef Hałyk.

AI Shield is software developed by a team of researchers from IDEAS NCBR, based on artificial intelligence algorithms. The basis for joint work will be data and analyzes prepared and made available by the Railway Security Guard. The goal of scientists from IDEAS NCBR is to optimize the use of SOK resources within the framework of already available protection measures – including motorized, pedestrian and mixed patrols. In addition to supporting preventive activities, the AI ​​Shield system is intended to contribute to the increase in the detection of perpetrators of railway offenses and crimes.

‘To maximize the possibilities of protecting the railway area, it is necessary to implement solutions built specifically for the needs of SOK, based on AI and using the latest scientific achievements in the field of analysis of large data sets,’ says Dr. Tomasz Michalak, leader of the “AI for safety” research team, working on projects including building multi-level critical infrastructure protection management systems.

Will artificial intelligence make better decisions than humans?

The use of AI is not intended to replace officers, but to support them in their daily service.
Unlike humans, algorithms are able to quickly find the optimal way to use existing protection resources in a specific situation – even if it is mathematically complicated. A good example is the need to select appropriate actions – with a limited number of officers – in such a complex railway area as, for example, the Warsaw agglomeration.

Services protecting critical infrastructure always have limited resources, and decisions made by humans may be formulaic and predictable, giving wrongdoers an edge. ‘Contrary to popular opinion, people do not cope well with tasks that require making decisions randomly,’ says Tomasz Michalak. AI tools are not exposed to these types of cognitive limitations. Artificial intelligence can prepare unpredictable defense plans, which makes it difficult for attackers to act effectively.

Safer trains mean fewer delays

Thanks to the optimization of patrol routes, it will be possible to take preventive actions that will minimize the risk of traction theft, without the need to increase the number of patrols. This, in turn, will translate into improved security and reduced delays.

‘I deeply believe that the cooperation of the Railway Security Guard and IDEAS NCBR will lead to achieving unique solutions that will have a positive impact on safety in railway transport,’ adds the Commander of the SOK.