Security cameras, scanners for railway stations

KOCHI: With an alarming increase of crime rates in the railways, the Thiruvananthapuram  and the Palakkad divisions are equipping themselves for integrated surveillance systems, which will be first of their kind in the Southern Railway.According to the officials, three railway stations  from the state were selected for the  implementation of the initial phase of the project. The three railway stations-- Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kozhikode--  were selected out of a total of 14 in the entire Southern Railway.The contract for the Rs 3-crore project which has been sanctioned  by the Southern Railway was awarded to NELCO, a subsidiary of Tata Group. Once in place, the system will be manned by the Railway Protection Force(RPF) personnel.“At least 40 surveillance cameras-- three or four in each location-- will be installed at the select railway stations. The places identified are entrances, platforms, booking offices, circulation areas, parcel offices, halls, car parking zones and yards,” sources in the RPF said. The RPF officials also claimed that, fixed and rotating-type surveillance cameras can show even a slight suspicious movement made by one person in a crowd. These will be recorded by police personnel stationed at central control room of each station. Immediately, the  officers on the platform will be alerted through walkie talkies.” K J Jay Commissioner RPF said.The central control rooms, equipped with CCTVs, will monitor passenger movements round the clock. According to the railway officials, it is time for the passengers who fear pickpockets, eve teasers, drunkards and even bomb attackers, to be at ease.As part of the integrated surveillance system, vehicle bottom scanners will be installed at the vehicular entrances. According to K J Jay, the scanners would be installed on the ground, which would help detect any suspicious materials placed in the bottom of the vehicles.In the second phase of the project, boundary walls would be set up at the entrances to create more security among public. The central control room in Ernakulam Junction Railway Station is at the second entrance. The first floor of the station will be used as the control room in Thiruvananthapuram. In Kozhikode, it will be located in the main building.