Integrated Digital Management System for Railway Workshops: A Modular Multi-Workflow Architecture for Machine, Permit, Contract, and Incident Management

TL;DR

This paper introduces a modular digital platform for railway workshop safety management, integrating key workflows to enhance operational efficiency, safety compliance, and incident response.

Contribution

The paper develops a comprehensive, multi-module digital system tailored for railway workshops, improving safety workflows and operational transparency over manual processes.

Findings

Permit processing time reduced by 35%

Incident reporting response time improved by 40%

Enhanced traceability across safety modules

Abstract

Indian Railway workshops form a critical component of rolling stock maintenance infrastructure, employing more than 2.5 lakh personnel across 44 major workshops nationwide. However, safety management in many workshops still relies on fragmented manual processes, resulting in delayed approvals, incomplete documentation, and increased exposure to operational hazards. Field safety observations indicate that lacerations (28.7%) and abrasions (21%) remain among the most frequent workplace injuries, highlighting the need for structured digital safety workflows. This paper presents the Integrated Digital Management System for Railway Workshops, a modular multi-workflow digital platform developed to improve safety governance and workflow transparency. The proposed system integrates four primary modules: Machine and Plant Management, Permit-to-Work (PTW) Management, Contract Management, and Incident Management. The Permit-to-Work module digitizes hazardous work authorization in accordance with IS 17893:2022, while the Contract Management module supports workforce validation and regulatory oversight. The Incident Management module enables rapid reporting, investigation tracking, and corrective action workflows. Functional evaluation in a railway workshop-oriented deployment scenario demonstrated measurable operational improvements, including a reduction in permit processing time by approximately 35%, improved incident reporting response time by nearly 40%, and enhanced workflow traceability across multiple safety modules. The proposed system establishes a scalable foundation for digital safety governance in large-scale railway workshop environments.