Railways to use drone cameras to beef up security measures

PATNA: The railways is planning to make extensive use of drone surveillance technology to beef up security measures at different stations under the jurisdiction of the East Central Railway (ECR). A decision in this regard has been taken in view of the growing insecurity among the passengers due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to ECR’s chief public relations officer (CPRO) Rajesh Kumar, the railways has procured nine drones and is planning to purchase 17 more for different zones. Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel will be imparted special training to operate them.
“Drones are cost-effective tools that have helped the officials concerned to monitor the progress of different projects of the ECR on a weekly basis and keep tabs on railway yards and workshops. The Kiul-Lakhisarai new line project is one of them,” the CPRO told this newspaper and added that the drones hired by the railways had kept tabs on the movement of migrant workers reaching Bihar from different states during the lockdown.
Drones, according to Kumar, will be used to ensure the safety of passengers on platforms or running trains, manage huge crowds smoothly and check criminal and anti-social activities. They will also keep an eye on encroachments and provide real-time status of passenger trains.
The ECR has jurisdiction over four states, including Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The footfall of passengers is quite high at the Patna Junction, Rajendra Nagar Terminal, Pt Deendayal Upadhyay Junction, Gaya, Dhanbad, Kiul and Barauni stations.