To ensure top-grade safety of the passengers and goods, major railway stations would have access control system at par with security arrangements seen at airports across the country.
The railway stations would be closed from all sides and would have access only through security channels to minimise the risk of unauthorised access to platforms and trains. The scanning gadgets installed at the entry points would be upgraded and a team of highly trained RPF commandos will be deployed at the key points at important railway stations.
The government has already sanctioned Rs 114.18 crores for the task which covers the entire periphery of the railway stations where the security access control system would be installed. Security walls measuring a total of almost 3,000 kms would be built around important stations.
DG Railway Protection Force (RPF) Arun Kumar said security is his top priority. “Even major railway stations are not adequately covered from the security point of view. There are multiple entry and exit points at busy stations. Most of these stations are almost open from all sides inviting unauthorised access. So, we are planning to control the entry and exit points with a view to minimising unauthorised access,” the DG added.
If intelligence inputs and security advisories are taken into consideration, railway stations have always been a soft target for militants, who gain easy access to crowded platforms. Some important stations in the country including railway stations at Mumbai, Delhi, Varanasi, Lucknow and Guwahati, have been targeted earlier by terror outfits. The country also has been witness to serial bombings in running passenger trains. Huge thefts at yards also result in heavy revenue losses for the government-run railways.
