SWR to instal 2,700 more CCTV cameras at railway stations

Bengaluru: The South Western Railway (SWR) will install 2,700 more CCTV cameras at 228 train stations in its jurisdiction to strengthen security. 

The SWR, whose 84% of the jurisdiction lies in Karnataka, currently has 835 CCTV cameras at its stations. 

On average, the Hubballi-headquartered SWR runs 202 mail/express trains per day. More than half of these trains, especially those on vulnerable routes, have train escorts to provide an extra layer of security, especially to women passengers. 

Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel escort 35 to 40 trains, while officers from the Government Railway Police (GRP) man another 69 to 70 trains. As many as 270 home guards accompany RPF personnel in the SWR jurisdiction to deal with any emergency or aid. 

According to the SWR, men travelling in coaches reserved for women are punished under Section 162 of the Railway Act. In 2022, 88 cases were registered under Section 162 and violators were penalised Rs 18,450. Last year, 145 cases were registered and netted Rs 25,500 in fines. 

'Meri Saheli' initiative 

The railways launched the 'Meri Saheli' initiative for the safety of solo women passengers. The RPF's Passenger Information System (PIS) gathers data about passengers to identify solo women passengers and assist them by real-time monitoring through SMS alerts and GPS tracking features, the SWR said.

Operation Nanhe Farishte 

Under Operation Nanhe Farishte, which focuses on protecting unaccompanied minor children travelling by train, the railways rescued 169 girls and 709 boys in 2022. Last year, 81 girls and 325 boys were rescued and handed over to child welfare centres, according to the SWR. 

In 2022, RPF cracked 113 cases of theft and recovered stolen items worth Rs 74,797. In 2023, 33 thefts were solved and stolen items worth Rs 2,81,599 were recovered, the SWR said.