RPF rescues 958 children from Central Railway stations

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The Railway Police Force rescued 958 children in the period of April 2023 to January 2024, informed the Central Railway. 56 children were rescued in January 2024 alone, central railway said. The rescue operation was conducted under "Operation Nanhe Farishte."

Railway Protection Force (RPF) is entrusted with the responsibility of security of railway property, passenger area and passengers. "RPF of Central Railway has rescued 958 children including 655 boys and 303 girls in coordination with Government Railway Police", the press statement said. Other frontline railway staff from railway station platforms over Central Railway were also involved in the rescue operation that took place during the period of April 2023 to January 2024 under "Operation Nanhe Farishte", the press statement from central railway said.

Mumbai Division of Central Railway rescued the highest 289 children which includes 175 boys and 114 girls. The boys and girls were reunited with their parents with the help of NGOs like Childline.

The statement from central railway added that the children who come to the railway stations without informing their families for several reasons including fights, family issues, search of better life, glamour of the city etc. were found by trained RPF personnel. These RPF personnel connected with the children and understood their problems.

The RPF staff also counselled the children to reunite with their parents. Many of the parents expressed their deep gratitude and thankfulness the Railways, the statement explained.

Meanwhile, the Western Railway on Wednesday said that it collected Rs 141 crore as fines during different ticket checking drives conducted between April 2023 and January 2024 and a 38 per cent fine collection rise has been witnessed in Mumbai AC local trains.

According to the Western Railway, in order to ensure hassle-free, comfortable travel and better services to all bonafide passengers over Western Railway, intensive ticket checking drives are being carried out continuously over Mumbai suburban local services, mail/express as well as passenger trains and holiday special trains so as to curb the menace of ticketless/irregular passengers.

To prevent unauthorised entry in Mumbai AC local trains, frequent surprise ticket checking drives were carried out. As a result of these drives more than 51,000 unauthorised passengers have been penalised during the period April, 2023 to January, 2024 and Rs. 170.74 lakh collected in fines, which is about 38 per cent higher than the same period of last year, the statement from Western Railway said.