Budget 2018: Rs 30 bn for 1.2 mn CCTVs in all 11,000 trains, 8,500 stations

BUDGET 2018 - In its endeavour to provide a safe and secure travel experience to passengers, India Railways is pitching for the procurement of about 1.2 million CCTV cameras to ensure state-of-the-art surveillance systems in all trains and stations across the country.

The Railways will make a provision of around Rs 30 billion (Rs 3,000 crore) in its budget for 2018-19 to install CCTV systems in all 11,000 trains — including premier and suburban services — and all the 8,500 stations in the Indian rail network, to provide safety and security at rail premises.

As per the plan, while each coach will have eight CCTV cameras covering the entry gates, aisle and vestibules, all crucial points at stations will have the systems.

Currently, there are about 395 stations and about 50 trains that are equipped with CCTV systems.

"All mail/express and premier trains, including Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto and local passenger services, will be equipped with the modern surveillance systems in the next two years," said a senior Railway Ministry official.

Railways is exploring various options to fund the installation of the CCTV surveillance systems and may even raise resources from the market if needed.

Given the increased number of derailments last year, the Rail Budget this time is slated to give top priority to safety and prevention of accidents — followed by improving passenger amenities to make the journey pleasant.