Radio-Frequency Identification

Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) is the use of radio waves to read and capture information stored on a tag attached to an object. A tag can be read from up to several feet away and does not need to be within the direct line-of-sight of the reader to be tracked.
RFID tags can store a range of information from one serial number to several pages of data.

Product Tracking – RFID tags are increasingly used as a cost-effective way to track inventory and as a substitute for barcodes.
Toll Road Payments – Highway toll payment systems use RFID technology to electronically collect tolls from passing cars. Instead of stopping at the toll booth, cars pass directly through the Pass lane and the toll is automatically deducted from a pre-paid card.
Passports – A number of countries, including Japan, the United States, Norway, and Spain incorporate RFID tags into passports to store information (such as a photograph) about the passport holder and to track visitors entering and exiting the country.
Libraries – Libraries use RFID tags in books and other materials to track circulation and inventory, store product information (such as titles and authors), and to provide security from theft.
Shipping – Large shipments of materials, such as retail goods, often utilize RFID tags to identify location, contents, and movement of goods.
Health care – In health care and hospital settings, RFID technologies include the following applications: Inventory control, Equipment tracking, Out-of-bed detection and fall detection, Ensuring that patients receive the correct medications and medical devices, Preventing the distribution of counterfeit drugs and medical devices, Monitoring patients, Providing data for electronic medical records systems, etc.

Using RFID devices will be easier for the railways to know the exact position of all the wagons, locomotives and coaches.
While the RFID tag will be fitted in the rolling stock, trackside readers will be installed at stations and key points along the tracks to read the tag from a distance of about two meters and transmit the wagon identity over a network to a central computer.
In this way, each moving wagon can be identified and its movement tracked.
With the introduction of RFID, the issue of shortage of wagons, locomotives and coaches is expected to be addressed in a more transparent and expeditious manner.

Indian Railways is on a mission to RFID Tag all wagons by December 2022.

https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitting-products/electromagnetic-compatibility-emc/radio-frequency-identification-rfid

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