Security at the railway junction here has been augmented with the provision of an advanced X-ray baggage scanner.
The gadget has been provided to the Railway Protection Force (RPF) as part of an effort to scale up security at the junction and ensure safety of the travelling public.
The sophisticated equipment has been procured at a cost of Rs.25 lakh under the passenger amenities scheme. Baggage of rail travellers will be subjected to intense checks through the x-ray baggage scanner which has been installed at the VIP entry point of the station.
Equipped with x-ray generator, regulator control, peripheral interface and detector chords, the scanner has a high penetration power to screen and detect articles kept inside a baggage.
Zooming facility
It has a zooming facility to enable Railway Protection Force personnel view any suspicious objects more clearly.
The machine has a recording facility up to eight GB with a capacity to record 15,000 to 16,000 baggage.
Each baggage weighing up to 600 kg can pass through the scanner, which will generate dummy images.
Non-metallic and metallic objects
Metallic and non-metallic objects kept inside the baggage will be displayed in different colours in the monitor as the luggage passes through the scanner.
This will help Railway Protection Force personnel in easier identification, the Divisional Security Commissioner, Railway Protection Force, Tiruchi Division S.R. Gandhi told The Hindu.
The monitor will display the shape and size of the objects inside the baggage in colour as well as in black and white.
Two Railway Protection Force men will be posted - one to view the monitor as the luggage passes through the scanner and the other to guide the travellers and conduct physical checks of the baggage in case of detection of suspicious objects.
Tiruchi is the second station in the Southern Railway zone to be provided with this scanner facility after Chennai Central.
Dangerous or explosive articles
Alongside creating deterrent effect, the scanner facility will enable Railway Protection Force personnel to monitor effectively and detect any dangerous or explosive articles hidden inside baggage, Mr. Gandhi said.
The Railway Protection Force, Tiruchi Division, has also been provided with a Non-Linear Junction Detector which can detect hidden electronic devices.
Bomb suppression blanket
A bomb suppression blanket, a protective equipment to suppress blast fragmentation and contain fragments created by explosion and a bomb disposal suit will be supplied shortly to the RPF.
The RPF is vested with the responsibility of escorting passenger trains and providing access control, regulation and security on platforms, passenger and circulating areas.
