The 8th All-India Conference of Government Railway Police (GRP) Chiefs concluded in New Delhi on October 23. The conference focused on strengthening railway security, improving passenger safety and enhancing coordination among the Railway Protection Force (RPF), the GRP and state police forces.
A key highlight of the conference was the onboarding of GRP personnel onto the RailMadad platform by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS), aimed at streamlining passenger grievance redressal, improving complaint monitoring and facilitating timely information-sharing.
The discussion focused on security issues such as the pelting of stones at trains, crowd management during festivals, the prevention of vandalism, and the detection of narcotics. Participants emphasized the need for hotspot-based patrolling, enhanced surveillance, strict action against offenders, and better coordination to ensure passenger safety.
South Central Railway introduced the “Pink Patrol: Eyes in the Sky, SHAKTI on the Ground” initiative, which relies on drone surveillance and women-led rapid response teams. Meanwhile, the Delhi Division of Northern Railway outlined its crowd management efforts during the festive season, carried out in coordination with the Delhi Police, the Government Railway Police (GRP) and the Metro authorities.
The Pune Division of Central Railway has provided details about ‘Project DISHA’. Under this initiative, children living near railway tracks are sensitized to rail safety through awareness programs and community activities, with the aim of curbing incidents such as stone-pelting, unauthorized trespassing and other unsafe activities.
The conference emphasized joint training for the RPF and GRP, improvements in digital evidence management, standard operating procedures for investigations, enhanced mechanisms for sharing intelligence and prompt communication on narcotics-related cases.
The conference was chaired by RPF Director General Sonali Mishra. It was attended by Railway Board Chairman and CEO Satish Kumar, members of the Railway Board and GRP chiefs from various states and union territories.
In the concluding session, Railway Board Chairman and CEO Satish Kumar emphasized the need for better coordination, technical innovation and professional policing to enhance passenger trust and improve operational efficiency. Meanwhile, DG/RPF Sonali Mishra highlighted the importance of intelligence-led policing in addressing emerging challenges to railway security.
(PIB)
