A high-tech surveillance system has been set up at Chennai Central and Egmore stations to help security personnel monitor railway stations round-the-clock. This is part of an Integrated Security System (ISS) with CCTV Surveillance System planned at 14 major stations in Southern Railway at a cost of Rs 41.60 crore.
With cameras all around, security personnel can now view every nook and corner of the station premises from a central control room to ensure safety of the passengers and their belongings.
The new system is being commissioned presently at nine major stations - Chennai Central, Chennai Egmore, Thiruvanathapuram Central, Ernakulam Junction, Madurai Junction, Coimbatore Junction, Tiruchchirappalli Junction, Kozhikode and Mangalore. The system will also be installed at five suburban stations of Chennai Beach, Mambalam, Tambaram, Basin Bridge Junction and Tiruvallur.
A.K. Mittal, General Manager, Southern Railway, today inaugurated the system for Chennai Central and Chennai Egmore at the Chennai Central Railway station.
Security of railway passengers and their belongings is the prime concern of the Indian Railways.
Providing security to passengers has become a challenge for the Railways as there are increasing instances of anti-social activities, which affect passenger security and safety. To address this concern, Indian Railways has introduced many measures taking advantage of the available technologies. Providing a surveillance system in the station premises is an effort to enhance passenger security and safety, says a Southern Railway press release.
The system comprises a CCTV surveillance with Internet Protocol based-cameras (625 numbers.), under vehicle scanning system for 18 entries/exits at nine major stations, personal and X-ray baggage screening system (295) and an explosive detection and disposal system for bomb detection squads at all major stations.
The sub-systems will be integrated by networking and monitored at the centralised control rooms. The CCTV Surveillance Network System was commissioned at Chennai Central and Chennai Egmore stations.
The existing CCTV network of suburban platforms has also been integrated to this system.