The Railway Protection Force (RPF) in Chennai Division of Southern Railway has expressed its inability to prevent crimes against those travelling in ladies’ coaches, citing manpower constraints and has asked the railway authorities to shift the coaches meant for women attached in the front/rear of Electric Multiple Unit/Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (EMU/MEMU) trains or suburban trains to the middle of the formation.
The RPF is mandated with the task of protecting and safeguarding railway passengers, passenger area and railway property. After a series of crimes against women were reported in EMU/MEMU trains in Chennai Division, the RPF has requested the Electrical Branch of the Southern Railway to shift all ladies’ coaches attached in the front/rear of EMU/MEMU trains to the middle so that it would be easy for the personnel to provide security to women passengers, sources in the railways told The Hindu on Sunday.
The issue gains prominence against the backdrop of the death of a 23-year-old woman in Chennai, who recently fell on the platform of an MRTS railway station while resisting an attempt to snatch her mobile phone.
Not enough personnel
In a note to the Electrical Branch, the Senior Divisional Security Commissioner, RPF, Chennai Division, said: “Due to shortage of manpower, the RPF is unable to provide security/escort in all the ladies’ coaches. In respect of this, if all these coaches are shifted to the middle of the formation, it will be easy to provide better safety/security to women commuters.”
The security officer said that the issue was flagged at a meeting with the Divisional Railway Manager, Chennai Division, and it was agreed upon in principle to shift these coaches to the middle.
According to a senior railway official, the ladies’ coaches in EMU/MEMU trains are a part of the first class coaches, attached to one in the front and the other in the rear. “In 12-car rakes, these coaches are located at the extreme ends of the platform where there is less crowd or movement of passengers, making it easy for criminals to commit crimes and escape. In the recent past, there has been an increase in cases of chain, wallet and mobile phone snatching from women passengers, particularly from those standing on the footboard or sitting on the window seat,” an official, who did not want to be quoted, said.
Crowd management
The official said that the shifting of women’s coaches to the middle would lead to confusion since women and first class passengers were used to waiting for trains at the two ends of the platform. Besides, shifting of sign boards on platforms and public announcements would have to be made to inform the women passengers about the change in position of the coaches. Crowd management would become an issue if women’s coaches are moved to the middle of the formation.
In Chennai, the Southern Railway operates dozens of EMU/DEMU trains along the Chennai Beach-Tambaram/Chengalpattu/Tirumalpur route; Chennai Beach-Velachery; and Moore Market Complex-Tiruvallur/Arakkonam/Gummidipundi, among others, in which a large number of women travel.
Two years ago, the Director-General of RPF had issued a circular instructing RPF officials across the railway network to launch short-term and long-term action plan to ensure security of women passengers.
