Nellore: For the first time, the Government Railway Police has deployed police pickets at level crossing gates, signal points and outer signals at stations in sensitive areas to prevent theft in the trains during the summer.
It has become a practice for thieves to stop the train at signal points and railway gates and escape after robbing the passengers at night.
Government Reserve Police officials said they had also revamped security arrangements on the trains by posting armed police apart from regular police, though the force is short of staff by 60 per cent.
Those with weapons have standing orders to shoot the offenders if the situation warrants. The posting of security personnel in trains is being monitored hourly by a DSP-level officer at the Joint Control Rooms run by the GRP and Railway Protection Force.
The two agencies are also carrying out joint patrol in stations as well as trains, especially at night.
