Title - Ready to tackle terror: Railways

Senior divisional security commissioner of Railway Protection Force (RPF) Alok Bohra said that a special mobile team of well-trained RPF personnel has been formed to do surprise checks at railway stations.

With the serial blasts in Bihar’s Mahabodhi temple and the seventh anniversary of the 11/7 serial train blasts case nearing, the railway administration is confident that they are ready to tackle any challenge. The railway authorities say better equipment, modern technology and trained staff have lead them to believe that they are fully prepared for any kind of eventuality.     

Senior divisional security commissioner of Railway Protection Force (RPF) Alok Bohra said that a special mobile team of well-trained RPF personnel has been formed to do surprise checks at railway stations. “Soon after the attack at CST on November 26, 2008, we imparted special commando training to more than 300 RPF personnel to combat terrorists,” said Bohra.

Bohra added that beside CST, these commandos wearing bullet-proof jackets have been posted at crowded stations like Dadar, LTT at Kurla, Panvel, Thane and Kalyan carrying modern equipment like AK-47s and SLRs.

The CST premises had only 34 CCTVs before the terrorist attack. But now a total of 350 powerful CCTVs have been installed with a separate modern CCTV control room. This control room is monitored by four RPF personnel including a sub-inspector round the clock. CCTV cameras have also been installed at all major and small stations in the Mumbai division of Central Railway. “Besides bag scanners have also been installed at all the major railway stations,” Bohra said.   

“Now we have 34 trained sniffer dogs in our dog squad in comparison to the four that we had earlier,” he added.

According to Rajendra Rupnawar, senior divisional security commissioner, RPF (WR), all the 29 stations from Chruchgate to Virar have been covered with 484 powerful CCTV cameras.  “At least 393 more CCTV cameras will be installed at all these stations soon,” he said. 

The WR now has a highly-trained BDDS team. The WR has also increased its number of sniffer dogs to 14 from two in 2006.