Raxaul incident highlights security lapse in trains
Security personnel on the Raxual train were deployed by the South East Central Railways
Hyderabad: An incident involving a 12-year-old girl, who was raped by a man in the toilet of a running train, has shocked the nation, raising serious questions about the safety of women traveling by train.
This comes less than two weeks after a woman jumped off the running MMTS train on March 22, when she was reportedly cornered by an unidentified man who sought sexual favours.
After the MMTS incident, railway officials promised to increase security, especially for female passengers. However, the system has once again failed.
When contacted, a senior railway official said, “Security personnel on the Raxual train were deployed by the South East Central Railways..”
When asked about the plans to install CCTV cameras in trains, the official said, “It may raise privacy concerns. However, RPF personnel are present on trains and regularly patrol from coach to coach.”
A ticket-checking staffer told Deccan Chronicle: “There are usually only two RPF personnel available on a train with around 16 coaches. There should be at least two security personnel per coach, with one stationed at each end of the coach.”
He added, “There needs to be strict checks on drunk passengers, as many consume alcohol during night journeys. There should also be constant checks on unauthorised vendors.”
