04 July,2014 08:03 AM IST | | A Correspondent
The number, 9503013705, was launched on Monday by the Railway Protection Force for the safety of passengers and to crackdown on train robberies, which have been on the rise
To improve policing in railways and to crackdown on train robbery incidents, the Pune Railway Protection Force (RPF), has launched a new helpline number for passengers, which will be operational round the clock. Besides this, the RPF will beef up security in local and long distance trains.
The average footfall of passengers at Pune railway station is more than one lakh per day and only 413 RPF staffers have been deputed for the safety of railway passengers. More than 150 trains including mail, express and intercity trains leave from Pune railway station every day.
Platform number 3, where the Bangalore-Jaipur train was halted by passengers on June 30 to register the complaint at Pune Railway police station against a gang of train robbers . Pic/Mohan PATIL
Assistant commissioner, RPF, LB Singh said, "To avert train robberies in future, we have started a new helpline number for railway passengers. The control room for this number will be in Pune. This will help us to take quick, adequate measures during unpleasant situations."
Singh added, "We have increased the number of RPF constables in the long distance trains leaving during wee hours from Pune railway station. More than 18,000 constables have been recruited in RPF across the country. By the end of this year, we are expecting to add 200 more cops to our Pune railway force."
"As per the amendment in the RPF Act effective from July 2004, we have to depute more staff for the safety of passengers inside the railway premises. We have to monitor the CCTV footage and check passengers at the scanner machines. Due to this, we are unable to deploy more workforce in trains."
Public relation officer (PRO), Pune Railway division, Yogendra Kumar Singh said, "We will be putting up posters across the railway station so that passengers are aware about the new helpline number. This will help to nab the miscreants and avert the chances of any untoward incidents."
Recent robbery
On June 30, a gang of ten dacoits looted ten passengers on the Bangalore-Jaipur Express at Jinti road junction near Daund around 4:20 am. They looted gold jewellery and mobile phones worth R2 lakh, and also decamped with their luggage.
1lakh
The average footfall of passengers at Pune railway station every day
150
The number of trains including mail, express and intercity trains that leave from Pune station every day
Pune division force
Pune railway division is spread across an area of 505 km, which includes Lonavla, Daund, Miraj, Kolhapur and Baramati.
>> Number of RPF staff: 413
>> Number of RPF police stations: 6
