'Fence both sides of Tilak Bridge'
Trains are halted when VIPs travel on road below; move to set it right
Railway Protection Force has proposed erecting high fences on both sides of Tilak Bridge – the rail bridge across Tilak Marg near ITO – so that trains heading towards it are not stopped simply because VIPs are travelling on the road beneath it.
National and foreign dignitaries travelling from Lutyens' zone use the Tilak Marg stretch to reach Rajghat, to pay obeisance to Mahatma Gandhi. For the sake of their security, movement of trains is affected if there is VIP movement at that time.
In order to do away with the practice, inspector general cum chief security commissioner of the railway protection force has written to Northern Railway officials to fence both sides of the bridge.
“We have received a letter from the RPF to fence the bridge. The matter is at a discussion stage. The concerned officials have been asked to conduct inspection of the site and prepare a report about feasibility of fencing the bridge and how much it would be beneficial in checking regulation of trains,” said a senior Northern Railway official.
The railway bridge overseeing Tilak Marg is around 50-metre long. All trains reaching New Delhi station from east, west and south India cross the bridge. Sources in the RPF said they have suggested railways to erect at least a 10-foot high fence.
“Currently, around three-to-four-foot high advertisement hoardings are installed on both the sides of the bridge. However, the traffic below could still be easily seen from the bridge. Therefore there is no other way than regulating the movement of trains. While the high fence would take care of the security, the regulation of trains during the VIP movement would not be required at all,” a senior RPF official said.
Railway officials said train movement is regulated at least two to three times a month, apart from long hour regulations during August 15 and January 26.
“Trains are stopped at stations like Tilak Bridge, Shivaji Bridge, Anand Vihar and Nizamuddin during the VIP movements. Some trains are also terminated at Anand Vihar and Nizamuddin on August 15 and January 26 due to the parade,” a railway official said.
