Title - MORE SECURITY IN TRAINS PASSING THROUGH NAXAL-HIT AREAS SOON

In the wake of increasing Naxalite attacks on passenger trains, the Railway administration has started talks with the State Government to provide protection to passengers. About half-a-dozen trains of Howrah-Mumbai route are running through the Naxal-infested Dhur forest areas of Rajnandgaon during night hours.According to Railway sources, Ahmedabad-Howrah express, Geetanjali express, Wanganga express and Nagpur-Tata passenger of Mumbai-Howrah down route and Shivnath express, Geetanjali express, Korba Thiruvananthapuram express and Tata-Nagpur passenger of Howrah-Mumbai up route are passing through the Naxal-hit forest areas of Rajnandgaon.The railway administration is concerned about the security of passengers of these trains. Bilaspur, Raipur and Nagpur railway divisions come under the Bilaspur Zone and the railway track beyond Rajnandgaon comes under the Nagpur railway division. Because of which the Bilaspur zone is responsible for the security of passengers travelling in these trains, the sources said.

According to the sources, about three years ago Naxalites had targeted Gyaneshwari express at Midnapur area of West Bengal. They had blasted the railway track. Five bogies of the train had derailed in the blast in which more than 90 passengers lost their lives.

About two years ago the Naxalites had held captive the driver of a goods train near Rajnandgaon, but released him after a few hours. Recently, the Naxalites have targeted the inter-city express near Jamui railway station in Bihar. They had pumped bullets on the train in which two security guards and a passenger died.

Following the Naxalite attack on the Dhanbad-Patna inter-city express, the local rail administration has started exercise to provide security to passengers of trains passing through the Naxal-infested areas.

According to Security Commissioner of Raipur Railway Division DB Goud, RPF and GRP personnel were being deployed in some trains passing through Raipur Railway division during night hours. Discussions were on with the State Government about security in the trains passing through Naxal-infested areas, he added.

He said that secrecy was being maintained about security matters and because of which he could not reveal it.