By NNN-PTI
New Delhi : In the wake of threats from terrorist groups to blow up railway stations, Northern Railways has put its security apparatus on extra alert ahead of Republic Day and plans to videograph the passengers.
Surveillance at railway stations and trains has been increased and random checks have been intensified, a senior official said.
“Since threat perception has gone high these days, we have increased surveillance and intensified random checks on stations and inside trains,” a senior Railway Protection Force (RPF) officer said.
“We have planned videography of passengers in general coaches since it has been the soft target of terrorists in the past,” the officer told PTI, referring to the blasts in Bihar-bound Shramjeevi Express and transnational Samjhauta Express.
A high-level meeting of Northern Railways officials was recently convened by General Manager Sri Prakash to discuss the security measures in the wake of terrorist threats, an official said.
Trains have been classified according to sensitivity. “Bihar and Jammu-bound trains come under the most sensitive category and we are keeping extra vigil on them,” the RPF official said, adding that the trains, before leaving the stations, are being throughly checked with the help of sniffer dogs.
“We are carrying out checks in trains with an element of surprise,” he said, adding “we receive three to four hoax calls every day but we always treat them as actual case.”