NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Railways has now decided to install high-resolution CCTV cameras in all passenger train coaches and locomotives, aiming to provide foolproof safety for passengers during their journey.
This decision follows the positive outcomes from experimental installations of CCTV cameras in some passenger coaches.
Union Minister for Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, along with his junior minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, reviewed the progress of the CCTV installation initiative in both locomotives and coaches on Saturday, accompanied by senior officials from the Railway Board.
They subsequently approved this ambitious and unprecedented plan to bring all coaches under CCTV surveillance, as part of the railways’ wider effort to enhance safety.
Dharmendra Tewari, ADG PIB Railway, said that installing CCTV cameras in all coaches would significantly bolster passenger safety and help deter miscreants and organised gangs who previously exploited unsuspecting passengers.
“With cameras, such incidents will significantly reduce. To preserve privacy of passengers, CCTV cameras will be installed in the common movement area near the doors in each coach of trains,” Tewari clarified.
He noted that successful trials have already been conducted in the locomotive engines and coaches of the Northern Railway.
“The Union Minister for Railways has approved the installation of CCTV cameras in all 74,000 coaches and 15,000 locos,” he further said, adding that each railway coach will be fitted with four dome-type CCTV cameras – two at each entranceway.
Tewari also said that each locomotive will be equipped with six CCTV cameras for round-the-clock monitoring – one each at the front, rear, and both sides of the locomotive.
Additionally, each cab (front and rear) of a loco will be fitted with one dome-type CCTV camera and two desk-mounted microphones. He further confirmed that the CCTV cameras will adhere to the latest specifications and will be STQC certified.
Sharing more details, Tewari said the Union Minister for Railways had stressed the importance of deploying best-in-class equipment and instructed officials to ensure that high-quality footage is captured even in trains running at speeds above 100 kmph and under low-light conditions.
The Union Minister has also encouraged officials to explore the use of artificial intelligence (AI) on the data captured by the CCTV cameras, in collaboration with the India-AI mission.
Outlining the purpose of fitting cameras in the common movement areas of coaches, Tewari stated that the initiative is focused on enhancing passenger safety and security.
“While preserving privacy, these cameras will help in identifying miscreants. The modernisation efforts of Indian Railways are a reflection of its commitment towards a safe, secure, and passenger-friendly travel experience,” he claimed.
Tewari further said that the NR is providing CCTV cameras in 6139 coaches, including 3853 LHB coaches,1436 ICF coaches and 850 EMU/MEMU/DEMU coaches. He said that the tenders for all the coaches were floated on July 11 this year. Trial of fitment of the cameras was done in few coaches by DLI division of Northern Railway.