The Railway Protection Force (RPF) officers will check the tourist trains run by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to prevent fire mishaps, said Inspector General-cum-Principal Chief Security Commissioner (IG-cum-PCSC), Aroma Singh Thakur of the South Central Railway (SCR).
Instructions have been given to the RPF personnel to inspect the pilgrimage and tourist trains run by IRCTC after the fire mishap in a private party coach, of Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, at the Madurai Railway Station Yard, on August 26 (last month).
All the passenger and tourist trains which have pantry cars in the SCR were being checked. The personnel were asked to step up vigil in railway stations and on moving trains to prevent carrying of inflammable material, stoves and LPG cylinders, the PCSC, who inspected the Vijayawada RPF station on Thursday, said.
Speaking to The Hindu, Ms. Thakur said the Indian Railways is planning to equip the bogies with CCTVs in all trains.
“Surveillance cameras have been installed in the coaches in some trains. The project will be completed in a phased manner in all the trains,” she said.
“We are planning to step up security cover by installing CCTVs in all railway stations in the zone. Cameras will be installed depending upon the footfall and category of the station,” Ms. Thakur said.
In the Vijayawada division, all the stations will have CCTVs, which will be linked to the Vijayawada railway station. Each station will have a minimum of five cameras, she added.
