Title - Railway police boost safety measures

KOCHI: Two years after the gruesome rape and murder of Soumya near Vallathol Nagar railway station on February 1, 2011, there has been no let up on safety on trains by the railway protection force (RPF) and the railway police.Intensive patrolling is conducted in all passenger trains from afternoon up to 11pm apart from round-the-clock patrolling carried out in long-distance trains. The police have also put in place procedures that make it easy for women passengers to register complaints. "Unlike in the past, women can travel on the same train after registering their complaint," said a senior official with the government railway police. The awareness level have gone up after the incident and more women have started to approach authorities to register complaints.The railway police are all set to receive an additional 200 personnel to strengthen the safety of passengers. Since the force does not have enough strength, civil police officers from local police stations are being deputed to government railway police every day.Meanwhile, railway passenger associations organized awareness programmes on Friday in memory of Soumya. Synergians, an association for the rights of passengers, launched a campaign to ensure the safety of railway passengers.Members of the association took the Ernakulam-Shoranur passenger at 5.30pm to Vallathol Nagar railway station, where they paid tribute to Soumya. All Kerala Railway Users' Association also organized a programme in the city on Friday.