VIJAYAWADA: With the number of accidents at the railway crossings increasing by the day, the Vijayawada Division of the South Central Railway (SCR) has taken a decision to instal around 1,000 CCTV cameras at all the railway crossings under the division. In all, the Vijayawada Division has 140 railway crossings and 500 CCTV cameras will be installed at the major ten railway crossings and near gatemen’s rooms, on pilot basis and the remaining CCTV cameras will be installed in a phased manner, said a SCR source.According to SCR officials, the cameras will capture images of motorists, who breach the barrier lines when the red warning lights are on. The cameras will use number-plate-recognition technology and footage from those will be used while prosecuting the offenders.
The installed CCTV cameras will be connected to the monitors of nearby station managers, who will closely monitor the situation and if required, alert the gatemen, if they failed to close the rail gate in time.
According to sources, cases of gatemen being absent at the railway crossings, when they should have been there and closing the rail gates, have been found. And some of the accidents that had taken place, happened because of their absence, sources said.
‘’This issue has came to the notice of the divisional manager and instructions have been given to the officials concerned to instal two CCTV cameras - one at the railway gates and the other at the gateman’s room. It may take at least six more months to implement the project; until then precautionary measures will be taken to prevent accidents,’’ said a senior official of SCR Vijayawada Division.