Railway Makes This Big Announcement For Female Passengers In Trains!

The Indian Railways in coordination with Government Railway Police (GRP) has taken several measures to ensure security of passengers including women passengers.

Policing on Railways being a State subject, prevention of crime, registration of cases, their investigation and maintenance of law & order in Railway premises as well as on running trains are the statutory responsibility of the State Governments, which they discharge through GRP/District Police.

However, Railway Protection Force (RPF) supplements the efforts of GRP to provide better protection and security of passenger area & passengers. Cases of Indian Penal Code (IPC) crime in Railways are registered and investigated by the concerned Government Railway Police. In order to increase representation of women in RPF to the level of 10%, 4517 out of 9739 vacancies notified in the year 2018 were reserved for women.

Steps taken by Indian Railways:

• On vulnerable and identified routes/sections, 2500 trains (on an average) are escorted by Railway Protection Force daily in addition to 2200 trains escorted by Government Railway Police of different States daily.
• Security Help Line number 182 is made operational over Indian Railways for security related assistance to passengers in distress.
• Through various social media platforms viz. twitter, facebook etc., Railways are in regular touch with passengers including women to enhance security of passengers and to address their security concern.
• Drives are conducted against entry of male passengers into compartments reserved for women passengers and persons apprehended are prosecuted as per law.
• Ladies Special trains running in Metropolitan cities are being escorted by lady RPF personnel. In other trains, where escorts are provided, the train escorting parties have been briefed to keep extra vigil on the lady passengers travelling alone, ladies coaches en-route and at halting stations.
• Surveillance is kept through CCTV cameras, provided at about 453 stations over Indian Railways, to ensure safety and security of passengers.
• An Integrated Security System (ISS) consisting of surveillance of vulnerable stations through Close Circuit Television Camera Network, Access Control etc. has been sanctioned to improve surveillance mechanism over 202 railway stations.
• All Railway Stations and passenger carrying trains are planned to be progressively provided with CCTV based surveillance system.
• Frequent announcements are made through Public Address System to educate passengers to take precautions against theft, snatching, drugging etc.
• Regular coordination is made with the State Police/GRP authorities at all levels for prevention of crime, registration of cases, their investigation and maintenance of law & order in Railway premises as well as on running trains.

CCTV cameras have been fitted in around 1300 coaches of 100 Mainline passenger trains. Balance Mainline passenger trains are presently not fitted with CCTV cameras. For left over coaches of passenger trains, work for the existing running (58276 nos.) is sanctioned. In phase-I, 7020 coaches (4620 coaches of premium trains and 2400 coaches of EMUs in Suburban area of Mumbai area) are planned to be equipped with CCTV System. For this, Request For Proposal (RFP) is floated and due for open on 22.07.2019 by RailTel, a PSU of Ministry of Railways. In next phases, Indian Railways has planned to extend CCTV based Video Surveillance System in all the balance running Passenger Trains’ coaches.

Emergency Talk Back system has been provided in all coaches of Air conditioned EMU rakes and Air conditioned rakes of Kolkata Metro. This system is being provided in all newly manufactured air-conditioned EMU rakes, underslung MEMU rakes and ladies compartment of non AC EMU rakes. Western Railway has already provided Emergency Talk Back system in 8 ladies coaches of existing three phase EMU rakes. Further, this system will be provided in remaining ladies compartments of existing three phase EMU rakes in a phased manner.