The Hindu : National : 185 stations `sensitive'

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Sunday, May 13, 2007
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National

185 stations `sensitive'

Sujay Mehdudia

NEW DELHI: Following intelligence reports that Indian Railways are a soft target for terror attacks and keeping in mind the past incidents of attacks on trains, the Railways have identified 185 railway stations, including 17 metro stations, as "sensitive" and measures are on to upgrade security systems there.

Acting on the recommendation of the Committee of Secretaries regarding formulation of a "Composite Security Plan" for the Railways, the Ministry of Railways has approved constitution of a committee comprising officers from the Intelligence Bureau, Central Industrial Security Force, National Security Guards, Delhi Police, Chief Security Commissioners and Railway Protection Force of Northern Railway, Western Railway, Central Railway and Eastern Railway, officer at the level of Executive Director from the Railway Board of Finance and Commercial Departments under the chairmanship of Additional Director General.

The committee is likely to hold its first meeting this month, review the security at the railway stations and suggest measures to upgrade the security system at the vulnerable stations.

Important stations, including those in South East Central Railway, East Central Railway and South Eastern Railway of Jharkhand, have been especially identified for upgrading security systems.

The Northern Railway that witnessed a terror attack on the Samjhauta Express in February this year claiming 68 lives, has identified a number of stations as sensitive.

These include New Delhi, Delhi Main, Ghaziabad, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Chandigarh, Saharanpur, Ambala, Moradabad, Hapur, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Dehra Dun, Haridwar, Lucknow and Varanasi. One X-ray baggage inspection machine has been installed at platform No. 18, Old Delhi Station, to screen the baggage of those travelling by Samjhauta Express.

Detectors

The Railways are also considering a proposal to procure explosive vapour trace detectors, more X-ray baggage screening machines, X-ray body scanner portals and metal detectors.

As for the metro stations in Delhi and Kolkata, adequate security measures are being put in place. The CISF has taken over the security at the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation stations eliminating the role of the Delhi police.

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