The Railways is tired of thefts, and has decided to ramp up security on the Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains.
The Indian Railways has never shied away from using technology to enhance its passenger experience. For example, to increase safety by constantly monitoring coaches, the Railways decided to roll out smart coaches equipped with black boxes, which you can read about here.
In the North East, the Railways decided to implement Long Welded Rail (LWR) tracks through the region, to make train rides on uneven terrain, jerk-free and comfortable.
Additionally, in a bid to increase food security standards, the Railways decided to use AI and CCTV cameras to catch even the smallest anomalies in the kitchen. Read about that here.
Well, the Railways is tinkering with technology again, and this time, they are experimenting with a new upgraded software to prevent thefts on trains.
The Western division of the Indian Railways has decided to equip the Rajdhani Express trains with CCTV cameras, and provide body-mounted cameras to RPF (Railway Protection Force) personnel, on trains and platforms.
Speaking to the Financial Express, an official of the Western Railways said that there had been cases of thefts on the Rajdhani trains, so CCTV cameras are the need of the hour. He added that five coaches have already been equipped with CCTV cameras, and a requirement for the same for an additional 100 coaches, has been identified.
As a stop-gap arrangement before all coaches are fitted with CCTV cameras, security and patrol personnel have been provided with body cameras, which will help with real-time monitoring of the train and stations.
The RPF personnel on the Shatabdi Express trains of the Western Railways will also get body cameras, which will transmit data on a real-time basis, and prevent theft.
Here is how these cameras will work:
Each camera has a 32 GB storage facility, to save important videos that can be used as evidence, in order to bring transparency in dealings with passengers. The software being used is an e-patrolling mobile application, that will be set up on the phones of the patrolling staff, and synced with the body camera. The app will be loaded with data, like the police officer’s name, beat, rank and assigned patrolling route on the train.
From the camera, the app records and transmits information to a central control room. Among the critical bits of information, will be vital details like the number of rounds undertaken by the officer wearing the camera, and his current location.
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Arun Tripathi, the divisional security commissioner of Western Railway, Mumbai Central Division, said that the authorities are optimistic about the outcome. He also mentioned that the software will be an added advantage for security agencies, and will undoubtedly improve the safety of the passengers on the train.
(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)
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