NEW DELHI: Rattled by the blasts in the Samjhauta Express and the loss of innocent lives in that incident, the Railways has sought the help of experts to revamp and overhaul the entire security set -up and system at the Railway stations and inside the trains. To begin with, the first security audit would be undertaken at the stations in Delhi with all zones being asked to put in place a fool proof system.

Not losing any time on this sensitive issue especially in view of the fact that trains like Samjhauta Express and Thar Express originate from its region and face possible terrorist threat, the Northern Railways has asked the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi to undertake a special security review project at all stations in the capital. Not only will the security audit look at the modernisation of the entire security system but also will study the security provided inside the trains with special focus on the incoming and outgoing passengers. This security audit would be later extended to other stations in the country.

Keeping the current requirement of security in perspective, both the Northern Railways and IIT Delhi have already got into action to undertake a project to revamp security on rail premises. A team of experts led by Prof. D.T. Sahni from IIT Delhi has been constituted to carry out a security audit in the Railways. This team has already surveyed the Delhi junction to study the density of passengers, movement of trains and the working of various security agencies to study the ground realities. The team is likely to visit all the Delhi stations again from time to time to acquire deeper understanding to evolve suitable measures for making better security arrangements in the Railways. "We are looking at a situation where security should be like, if not on a par, with airports. This could include installation of X-ray machines and other sophisticated gadgets to ensure that the travelling public is insulated against any possible terror threat, an official said.

At present, the security arrangements at stations in the Delhi area have been further strengthened by additional deployment of 12 trained dog squads for conducting frequent checks at the stations. These highly trained dogs squads are assisting the Railway Protection Force to carry out security checks of luggage and other packages. Door Frame Metal Detectors , Hand Held Metal Detectors and CCTV cameras are being intensively used by security personnel. A baggage screening machine is also being commissioned by the Railways for ensuring smooth and speedy checking of baggage.

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