Railways Minister Reviews AI Surveillance, Security Upgrades at New Delhi Station

According to a press release by the ministry, the meeting focused on measures like access control, crowd management, technology-driven surveillance, and ease of mobility within station premises. These reforms will first be implemented at New Delhi Railway Station and, based on the lessons learned, will subsequently be rolled out to other stations.

Comprehensive AI-powered surveillance is to be deployed at New Delhi Railway Station through cameras, covering all nooks and corners of the station premises, including platforms, concourses, entry-exit points, and funnel areas prone to unauthorised entry.

An Exception Event Display-based control room will be established where AI processing of live camera feeds will alert monitoring staff to unusual or unsafe events in real time. The Union Minister described cameras as the "eyes" and AI as the "brain" of the system, stressing that all camera coverage zones must be adequately lit to ensure maximum surveillance efficacy, the press release stated.

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) will be additionally deployed to ensure only ticketed passengers access station premises, with a shift from manual checking to surveillance-based monitoring.

To bring uniformity and accountability among the large workforce, a colour-coded identification system has been introduced for all personnel working in the station. Fluorescent jackets will be worn by Railway employees, while Non-Employees including vendors, station sahayaks, contractual staff, and IRCTC personnel, will also wear colour-coded jackets of some other colour.

This is being done to enable the swift identification of passengers, employees and other non-employees like coolies, the staff of vendors, food, cleaning, parcel and maintenance personnel, present in the station premises, with whom the security authorities and the ticket checking staff engage, while performing their duties.

ID cards will be issued to all employees and non-employees, with comprehensive details needed for identification purposes. The uniform identification system is meant to be progressively replicated across all stations of the North Zone, with New Delhi Station serving as the model and at a later date in other parts of the country.

As per the release, a QR code-based entry management system is to be introduced at New Delhi Railway Station as a pilot project ahead of the expected festival rush during Diwali and Chhath. The system will regulate entry based on valid tickets, enabling better segregation of Reserved ticket holders, Monthly Season Ticket holders, and Unreserved passengers.

To improve the travel experience for passengers arriving at or departing from New Delhi Railway Station, the RailOne App is to be integrated with Bharat Taxi. The integration, being developed in collaboration with RailTel, aims to reduce the chaos outside station premises, minimise passenger inconvenience, and provide a reliable, transparent last-mile transport option.

Bharat Taxi is India's first cooperative-led ride-hailing platform. This is a major milestone in the Centre's ongoing efforts to strengthen the cooperative sector and promote inclusive, citizen-centric mobility solutions, in line with the vision of 'Sahkar se Samriddhi'.

The meeting also reviewed the status of holding area upgrades across 76 railway stations. Designated holding areas are being created outside the station building for Unreserved travellers, ensuring controlled, phased access to platforms and preventing the flooding of concourses that have historically led to overcrowding and safety risks. The designated entry points will be available for passengers through the holding area for seamless movement.

Signage improvements at all stations have also been directed, with clear and prominently visible signs for both Reserved and Unreserved ticket holders. Train information services are to be upgraded to keep passengers better informed while they wait in designated holding areas. Direct monitoring by the Railway Ministry will continue to ensure sustained improvement in passenger comfort at high-footfall stations across the network.

These measures demonstrate Indian Railways' commitment to transforming the country's busiest stations into safe, well-organised, and passenger-friendly spaces. By combining technology and upgraded physical infrastructure, the Railways aims to provide a seamless travel experience, from station entry to last-mile connectivity for the millions of passengers who rely on its services every day, the ministry stated.

- ANI