Surveillance is to be enhanced at the Tiruchi railway junction with the railway authorities planning to install 180 new cameras at this busy station. The cameras are to be installed at vantage points within the station premises and in the circulating areas.
A separate hall measuring about 1,000 square feet close to the retiring rooms situated on the first floor at Tiruchi Junction has been earmarked for the Railway Protection Force. The hall will act as a security and surveillance control room and will be equipped with monitors. The monitors will be connected to the chain of cameras for round-the-clock surveillance.
A joint inspection has already been done by the personnel of the Railway Protection Force, Government Railway Police and Signal and Telecommunication branch of the Southern Railway to identify the key spots for the installation of the new cameras which are to be procured, railway sources said.
The Tiruchi railway junction has around 60 cameras, some of which has suffered wear and tear over the years. The cameras are connected to the control room which functions at present near the main entrance for round-the-monitoring by the Railway Protection Force personnel in shifts.
The sources said approval has been provided for 180 cameras at Tiruchi Junction some of which will be PTZ (Pan Tilt Zoom). The PTZ cameras will help in getting wide-area coverage and zoom in for closer examination of the video footage generated. The new cameras are planned to be installed at the additional entry of the station, second entry and at all eight platforms besides at the goods yard nearby.
The Signal and Telecommunication branch has been entrusted with the task of installing the new cameras and providing connectivity with the control room to enable Railway Protection Force personnel carry out round-the-monitoring, the sources added. Post installation of the cameras and its commissioning, it would be handed over to the Railway Protection Force personnel.
The Tiruchi railway junction was equipped with a host of advanced cameras under the hi-tech Integrated Security Scheme over eight years ago to beef up security and surveillance. It is a major station in the Southern Railway zone and continues to remain on top in the vast limits of the Tiruchi Railway Division in respect of passenger footfalls. This station alone handled a little over 79 lakh originating passengers during the 2023-2024 financial year.
“Cameras will act as manpower multipliers which will enable Railway Protection Force personnel to maintain round-the-clock monitoring of the activities taking place in Tiruchi Junction and in the circulating areas. These gadgets will help in establishing the identity of the accused involved in offences committed in the station premises”, the sources added.
Published – December 08, 2024 07:14 pm IST
