JR East to Trial AI Camera Monitoring of Train Pantographs on Tokyo's Yamanote Line

East Japan Railway, known as JR East, has said it will launch a trial in April of a system that uses artificial intelligence to monitor pantographs on trains running on its busy Yamanote Line in Tokyo to detect defects at an early stage. Together with drones to inspect overhead wires and other infrastructure, the company aims to reduce the time required to resume operations by 30% when transport service disruptions occur due to equipment problems. Pantographs are located on the roof of a train car and connect the carriage to the overhead electrical wires. Cameras to monitor the pantographs will be installed near Shimbashi, Ebisu, Mejiro and Uguisudani stations in the capital, the company said. The AI system will analyse the images in real time and, if damage is detected, will notify the control room or other relevant sections. Drones will then be dispatched to inspect overhead wires and other equipment, facilitating faster restoration work. By replacing work traditionally done by people with AI and drones, the system is expected to shorten the time needed to identify damaged vehicles and inspect facilities. It is the first time JR East will use AI to detect such damage, and the company is considering introducing the system to the Tokyo-Shinjuku section of its Chuo Line and to shinkansen services in the future. In May 2025, many pantographs on the Yamanote Line were damaged due to broken overhead wires, affecting about 250,000 people. In 2026, JR East faced a series of large-scale transportation disruptions due to power outages on its Yamanote, Joban and Utsunomiya lines, making it an urgent task for the company to prevent a recurrence.