S. Rly ordered to tighten security

By Our Staff Reporter

COIMBATORE, JUNE 9. The Southern Railways has been ordered to step up vigil and security in night trains in view of the recent spate of train robberies, the Union Minister of State for Railways, Mr. O. Rajagopal, said here today.

Talking to reporters at Ettimadai after inaugurating a renovated railway station, he said security arrangements were reviewed and manpower was being increased. The entire question of security in trains was being addressed in a ``comprehensive manner''.

Asked why the Railways was reluctant to experiment with rail safety devices to avert accidents, the Minister said all gadgets were being used and all avenues explored.

Discussions were on with a high-level committee on the ways and means to minimise rail accidents and all the recommendations made so far relating to rail accidents, including the one for felling of eucalyptus trees, were being examined.

Referring to the accidents at unmanned level crossings, the Minister said the Railways could either close down the unmanned crossings (which would affect the public) or to post employees there. The issue was being tackled in a phased manner.

On the progress in the opening of food plazas in major railway stations, he said the general managers concerned had been asked to send proposals to the Ministry. The recently established corporation for catering and tourism, to become functional soon, would deal with food plazas and also trains exclusively for promoting tourism.

On creation of new divisions, the Minister said there was no such plan and the priority was to improve services to passengers such as providing new trains, augmenting rolling stock and doubling of tracks.

The demand for increasing the frequency of the Coimbatore- Nizamuddin Express was under ``active consideration'', he said and its proposed diversion via Bangalore was aimed at providing a shorter route to the passengers.

Asked how the Railways proposed to bridge the gap in the resources and demand, he said projects were taken up with the assistance of States such as the Karur-Salem gauge conversion (50 per cent funding by the State) and the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) where the Tamil Nadu Government was sharing the expenditure considerably.

In Karnataka, some of the projects which the Railways could not accord priority were being taken up with the assistance of the State Government, which signed an MoU with the railways. Similarly, the Andhra Pradesh Government had also come forward to share the cost of some projects.

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