Transforming Travel With Tech

Hubert H. Humphrey fellow Brijesh Dixit, the executive director of the National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology during his fellowship in the United States. (Photograph courtesy Brijesh Dixit)

The cutting-edge high-speed railway (HSR) corridor spanning 508 km between Mumbai and Ahmedabad is designed to improve connectivity and ease travel between the two major cities. Playing a pivotal role in its implementation is Brijesh Dixit, the executive director of the National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL). He recently completed the Humphrey Fellowship in the field of technology policy and management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by the Institute of International Education, strengthens leadership among international professionals who work together to tackle both local and global challenges.

HSR—the future of travel

High-speed railways have become a familiar sight around the world, with successful operations in Japan, China and Western Europe. “HSR has so many benefits beyond fast transportation, such as energy efficiency, fostering technological advancements, unlocking land value, and regulating urbanization, with many spin-off benefits across other sectors as well,” Dixit says. Explaining why Mumbai-Ahmedabad was chosen as India’s first high-speed rail corridor, Dixit says, “The intercity distance of about 500 km is ideal for HSR. There is a huge passenger demand and potential for industrial and economic growth in this corridor.”

Large-scale projects like this inevitably face challenges. These range from navigating social and environmental concerns to integrating new technologies and ensuring effective monitoring. However, Dixit’s experience at MIT as a Humphrey fellow has equipped him with valuable perspectives on the technology-led systems approach, which is the essence of HSR as well.

The high-speed rail corridor under construction in Gujarat. (Photograph by Mahi.freefly / Shutterstock.com)

Cutting-edge research

A graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, Dixit has always been passionate about working in the field of engineering and technology.

While at MIT, Dixit joined a high-speed rail research group, collaborating with the officials responsible for Japan’s Shinkansen high-speed trains. This experience provided him with insights into “high-speed rail developments not only in Japan but also in other regions like the Middle East, Europe and the United States itself,” he says. Additionally, Dixit studied statistical modeling and big data, automation, the Internet of Things (IoT), planning and transportation optimization. He also wrote a detailed review paper on train asset management using sensing and data analytics.

With his learnings at MIT, combined with his exposure to international systems, Dixit feels he is well equipped to make an impact, not only in the railways but in other sectors too. “Being at MIT exposed me to cutting-edge research and educated me to think big and be innovative,” he says. Importantly, he learned to analyze things from first principles, a method that simplifies complexities.

During the fellowship, Dixit discovered his passion for writing poetry on matters of nature, science and technology. “I have completed my book of poems titled ‘Nature, Science and My Musings; A Poetic Odyssey Through Some Existential Questions,” which is to be published soon,” he says.

Immersive learning opportunities

His Humphrey cohort had a retreat in Maine and off-campus visits in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire and Washington, D.C., where they were hosted by the Department of State. “As part of the fellowship program, I visited and interacted with U.S. institutions and with the railroad industry,” says Dixit. He was also invited to participate as a panelist on “Urbanization and International Development” at Harvard University. “I made friends from across the world,” he says, adding that this experience broadened his perspective and enabled him to learn about different countries, their cultures and their challenges. “There are many other remembrances of my Humphrey fellowship,” Dixit says, “and it was perhaps the most productive period of my professional career.”

Paromita Pain is an associate professor of Global Media Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno.

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