CHENNAI:
Railway Protection Force, Southern Railway is in the forefront in providing security to passengers and railway stations. RPF adopts various innovative measures to address security concerns and related issues. The services of RPF, Southern Railway during January – June, 2018 are provided below.
The All India RPF Security Helpline No.182 is functional in Southern Railway from December, 2014 onwards. During January – June, 2018, 368 complaints were received from passengers and they were redressed on real-time basis. RPF responds to ‘help’ messages received through Twitter, too. During January – June, 2018, 501 requests for help were received and assistance provided.
To address the concerns of women passengers and to provide them adequate privacy, the concept of All Women Facilitation Centre was evolved. These All Women Facilitation Centres are now functional at Chennai Central, Chennai Egmore, Tiruchchirappalli, Madurai, Coimbatore, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode railway stations. These centres are manned by women RPF staff, along with women staff from the commercial department, round the clock.
During the first six months of 2018, 227 criminals were held in 208 cases under RP(UP) Act and railway property worth Rs.5,02,558 was recovered; 51701 cases were booked under Railways Act and Rs.1,32,05,265 was collected as fine. 282 criminals involved in passenger-related offenses were held by alert RPF staff and handed over to Government Railway Police.
During the first six months of 2018, 37,745 persons were fined for littering in railway premises and Rs.82,55,140 was collected from them. Furthermore, on 236 occasions, RPF seized contraband goods worth Rs.1.75 crore and 133 offenders were handed over to the agencies concerned which was widely appreciated.
Retrieval of passengers’ belongings is another noteworthy work done by RPF. Up to June, 2018, on 1385 occasions, vigilant RPF personnel retrieved passengers’ belongings such as cash, baggage, mobile phones, jewellery, etc left behind by them in trains and railway stations and handed them over to the concerned persons/authorities.
Besides providing security, RPF personnel render other services and assistance. Upto June, 2018, 735 passengers who fell ill / were injured during train journeys were rendered first aid / taken for treatment to hospital by RPF personnel in co-ordination with medical department.
RPF personnel rescued 540 runaway / destitute children and handed them over to their parents / child help line. Child Help Desks, in tie-up with NGOs, are functional at Chennai Central, Chennai Egmore, Madurai and Kozhikode railway stations. Such help desks are to be set up soon at 4 more railway stations. Furthermore, 52 missing women were rescued and handed over to their relatives / law enforcing agencies concerned.
Various awareness campaigns were conducted by RPF to educate passengers, especially on safety and security measures during travel.
Providing security to passengers and trains is one of the most important tasks performed by RPF. On an average, 318 trains, including suburban trains and most of the night time services, are escorted daily by 730 RPF personnel. Moreover, 4 ladies special EMUs are escorted by a special team of women RPF called ‘Sakthi Padai’ and ladies coaches of 8 express trains are escorted by women RPSF personnel. Further, ladies coaches of 137 EMU trains running between 18.00 hrs. – 06.00 hrs. are also escorted by men RPF personnel.
It would be interesting to note that Tourism Help Desks, manned exclusively by RPF personnel, are functional at Madurai, Rameswaram and Thiruvananthapuram railway stations to help tourists.
