TIRUCHY: The Tiruchy railway division’s initiative to install 185 new CCTV cameras under the Special Replacement Project has received appreciation from passengers, but the delay in completing the work has left the Government Railway Police (GRP) in a difficult position.
With most of the existing cameras – including those at entry points – defunct, GRP personnel are struggling to crack cases of missing persons, thefts, and track fatalities. According to Signal and Telecommunication Department officials, old cameras had completed their service life and frequently developed technical faults.
Hence, railway headquarters approved the installation of 185 new cameras under Capital Works at a cost of Rs 2.26 crore. Of these 85 cameras have been installed and the remaining will be fixed soon. The Tiruchy Railway Junction, with eight platforms, handles 141 trains daily, rising to 151 during festivals.
The station records an average daily footfall of 49,000 passengers. To ensure safety and prevent crimes such as theft, harassment, chain-snatching and unauthorised entry, authorities had earlier installed 67 CCTV cameras at key points.
However, only 22 of these remain functional, while the rest- including those at entry points- have stopped working. “More than four cameras are installed at the entry points, but only one is operational. Even that only provides live feed without backup storage.
Without recorded footage, we struggle to identify criminals, missing persons, and victims of train accidents. The authorities should rectify this immediately,” a senior GRP officer said. Meanwhile, out of 151 stations in the Tiruchy division, 108 D and E category stations and four major stations – Thanjavur, Kumbakonam, Villupuram, and Mayiladuthurai – have been identified for CCTV installation under the Nirbhaya Fund.
The work, estimated at a cost of Rs 20 crore, has been entrusted to Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) and is expected to begin shortly, officials said.