Title - Vigil tightened on board trains

With summer season on and movement of rail passengers mounting, Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel have been instructed to enhance vigil in trains and in stations to avert offences.Instructions have been given to the Railway Police inspectors serving in the GRP, Tiruchi district, with a vast jurisdiction starting from Villupuram and going down south up to Kuzhithurai near Kanyakumari, clearly specifying the measures that needed to be taken during the season to strengthen security by coordinating with Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel.One among the key instructions given to the field-level GRP officers is to provide escort in all special trains too till the summer season was over.The GRP has a state-wide responsibility for prevention and detection of offences in railway jurisdiction. The Tiruchi district of GRP encompasses Tiruchi and Madurai sub-divisions accounting for a total number of 20 railway police stations and 11 outposts.

Conscious of the fact that movement of passengers in the coming days would rise, the GRP authorities have directed their inspectors serving in Tiruchi district to ensure that all trains were marched with armed beats. GRP personnel also provide escort in express, superfast and passenger trains along with their RPF counterparts. Railway Police constables of Tiruchi district provide escort in around 60 trains every day majority of which are long distance night trains, say sources. The officers and beat constables have been instructed to keep a watch on criminals and control crimes on board trains and in railway stations.

They have been asked to take the assistance of the local police and Home Guards to augment their strength for security duty. Marching of additional beats in platforms during summer season and maintaining liaison with the RPF in controlling crimes were the other instructions given to the GRP officers, the sources said.

The directions to step up vigil and security during the summer season have been given to ensure safety and security of passengers and to ward off crimes, says a senior police officer here.