Karnataka - Bangalore

Are stations a security risk?

Bangalore: Handling of luggage and parcels in passenger trains is posing a new challenge to security personnel at the various railway stations in the city.

Unlike airports, there are no baggage scanners at railway stations. This, despite the huge quantum of baggage and parcels that are transported through passenger trains every day.

Extensive checking of baggage and parcels, including motor vehicles transported in trains, is inevitable. Investigation by the State police into the recently unearthed terror network revealed that suspected terrorists planned to blast trains using explosive-fitted two-wheelers in the guise of transporting them.

Typically, metal detectors are fitted only at the main passenger entrance. Areas earmarked for receiving goods and parcels are neglected. Dog squads are used to randomly check parcels, and that is not foolproof.

Worse, despite installing a doorframe metal detector at the entrance of the City railway station, the security personnel are unable to ensure all passengers pass through them due to overcrowding and prevalence of other entry points with no metal detectors. Even passenger baggage checking is done only in a random manner.

Bangalore has just about 200 personnel attached to Railway Protection Force and Railway Protection Special Force.

C. Damodaran, Chief Security Commissioner, South-Western Railway, told The Hindu that the need of the hour is the technology to keep a vigil on passenger movement and entry of goods into various railway stations.

He said the forthcoming railway budget may allocate more funds for acquiring hi-tech security gadgets, including baggage scanners, metal detectors and passenger screening equipment. He said that Yeshwanthpur would shortly get a hi-tech CCTV monitoring system akin to the one at the Bangalore City railway station, where over 40 closed circuit cameras are installed.

A separate monitoring room helps the security personnel keep track of trains, people’s movements and other activities which are stored in a compact disc.

“What the railways require is the latest technology to keep track of people’s movements in stations. We have a security system to deal with any emergency situation,” he said.

Mr. Damodaran said in Karnataka, particularly Bangalore City, there was excellent security coordination between the railway authorities and State police.

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