Budget 2018: Here’s how govt plans to make train journeys safer

In the upcoming Union Budget, which would also comprise the Railway Budget, the Narendra Modi government is expected to make some big announcements with regard to the Indian Railways. One of the major announcements that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is expected to make during the budget is installation of over 12 lakh CCTV cameras in trains and railway stations.

This is being done by the government to ensure a better surveillance on train services. The move will make it easier for authorities to monitor the functioning with ease. It is believed that the move may incur a cost of Rs 3000 crore on the exchequer, said a report in Prabhat Khabar.

Initially, CCTV cameras will be installed in as many as 11,000 trains and 8500 railway stations.

According to the report, each bogie of a train will get 8 CCTV cameras. They will be installed near the gates as well as in the corridors of a train. As of now, these cameras are already in place in 50 trains and 395 stations.

The Indian Railways will explore options to gather funds for the same.

With several accidents taking place in recent past, the Indian Railways is not the priority list of government in this budget. Apart from this, focus is also slated to be given to unmanned crossings, old racks and other security-related features.

By 2020, the government aims to get rid of unmanned crossings across the country.

This comes days after reports said that the Indian Railways was preparing to launch drones over stations across country for better crowd management.

The drones are expected to help officials control crowds at railway stations better - especially during festival seasons when major cities see a rise in footfall. The bird's eye view will help in better regulation of people and identify potentially dangerous situations in and around stations in the country. In addition, the drones can also help monitor track conditions, help in supervision of various projects undertaken and assist in rescue efforts when needed.

A trial has been done and Railways has put these machines to use in three divisions in Jabalpur.

(With agency inputs)