The Tiruchi railway junction – a major station in the Southern Railway zone – has been equipped with a set of over 130 new hi-tech surveillance cameras which are expected to become functional soon. The advanced cameras would enable the Railway Protection Force personnel to mount a round-the-clock vigil at this busy station witnessing heavy footfall during peak hour in the morning and night.
A new CCTV control room has been established at the station to step up surveillance from the video footage generated by the host of new surveillance cameras. Of the 185 new cameras allotted for Tiruchi Junction, as many as 133 of them have been fixed at key points within the sprawling station premises and in the circulating area. The remaining cameras are expected to be installed in the due course. The new cameras are of both fixed and pan tilt zoom type with a 30-day back up facility.
Railway sources said the Signal and Telecommunication branch of the Tiruchi Railway Division had installed the new cameras following a joint inspection done with the personnel of the Railway Protection Force entrusted with the responsibility of providing security at the railway station.
The new cameras have replaced the old ones which had suffered wear and tear over the years. Many of them had become non-functional as they were installed over a decade ago and completed their codal life warranting the installation of new gadgets.
The new cameras have been fixed at vantage spots covering all eight platforms, circulating area, yard, concourse area, parking lot among others. Testing of new cameras are currently on and they are expected to become functional soon. The cameras are connected with the new CCTV control room which has been set up on the first floor of the station building, the sources said.
The air-conditioned new control room is spacious and equipped with a set of monitors inside. The video footage generated from the surveillance cameras can be viewed in the monitors which would enable the Railway Protection Force personnel to keep a tab on the activities taking place within the station premises and its vicinity from the control room which would function round-the-clock.
The new cameras would act as a manpower multiplier in mounting vigil at the station which has a Railway Protection Force post nearby. The new cameras and the control room would be handed over to the Railway Protection Force.
Located in the central part of Tamil Nadu, the Tiruchi railway junction witnesses movement of passenger, express and superfast trains in both directions every day. Certain inter-state trains also pass through this station making it one of the major stations. The station continues to remain on top in Tiruchi Division in respect of both originating passenger movements and earnings.