A video surveillance system that has already been installed in 10 major railway stations of South Western Railway (SWR), will soon come up in 31 more stations of the zone under the Nirbhaya fund.
Under the system, CCTV cameras will be installed at vantage points on the station premises covering platforms, waiting area, parking etc., with a view to ensure round-the-clock security to passengers.
The facility will come up at 12 stations across Hubballi division at a cost of ₹5.72 crore; 11 stations across Bengaluru division at a cost of ₹5.49 crore; and eight stations in Mysuru division at a cost of ₹3.96 crore.
Such a CCTV-enabled surveillance system has already been commissioned at Bengaluru, Yeshwantpur, Mysuru, Ballari, Hospet, Dharwad, Belagavi, Vasco Da Gama, Vijayapura and Hubbali.
Speaking to The Hindu , Prakash Kumar Panda, Divisional Security Commissioner, Railway Protection Force (RPF), Mysuru, said the Signal and Telecommunication (S&T) staff of the Railways had already carried out a survey of the number of CCTV cameras required for each railway station, and the locations at which they need to be installed.
“The number of CCTV cameras required varies from station to station,” he said, adding that a proposal on the number of cameras required for each station has been submitted to the authorities.
Almost all the A and B category railway stations in Mysuru division, like Davangere, Chitradurga, Hassan, and Bhadravati will be covered under the video surveillance system.
Mr. Panda said bigger stations like Shivamogga and Arsikere in the division will have more CCTV cameras, while smaller ones like Harihar and Haveri will have a lesser number.
Also, a decision is yet to be taken on whether to have separate video feed monitoring units in different stations or to have a centralised monitoring unit at the divisional headquarters.
A centralised cell, with a system to alert the RPF in different railway stations, can help reduce the manpower required for a round-the-clock vigil.
