CHENNAI: The Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP), have been facing the wrath of passengers in the wake of inadequate security at suburban stations, and now they have beefed up security at MRTS and other suburban stations. The deaths of two women at Indira Nagar and Saidapet stations in separate incidents within a month raised serious security concerns.
According to a senior official from the Southern Railway, besides the regular RPF field staff at railway stations, one RPF officer with three staff members will conduct ambush checks in the Chennai Beach - Velachery MRTS section during night hours.
“These ambush checks will be performed daily in coordination with GRP. Additionally, there is a special drive to monitor the movement of antisocial elements near railway stations,” said an official.
To ensure maximum visibility and to instil confidence among women passengers, a significant number of women RPF personnel have been stationed at wayside stations.
They are present on station platforms to provide security. Furthermore, the Crime Prevention and Detection Squad (CPDS) is also being utilised to prevent and detect any crimes against passengers and their belongings, as stated by the official.
To enhance surveillance, CCTV cameras have been installed at 16 railway stations within the Chennai Division. Moreover, 548 CCTVs have been set up at important suburban stations in the same division to monitor passenger flow and crowd management.
“Additionally, tenders have been awarded for installing CCTVs in 74 stations across various sections, with expected completion dates ranging from December of the current year to September of the following year, depending on the specific area,” said a statement from the railways.
In addition, a tender had been awarded to fix surveillance cameras in 54 smaller stations of the Chennai division which will be completed by March next year, added the statement.