AURANGABAD

· A total of 17 Stations are covered under this first phase of Integrated Video Surveillance System

· Security surveillance monitoring can now be monitored at three levels

Shri Gajanan Mallya, General Manager, South Central Railway inaugurated the Integrated Video Surveillance System (VSS) Control Room at the Zonal level for the first 17 stations of SCR today i.e., 31st May 2021. With this facility made operational, the security surveillance footage over these 17 stations can now be monitored at 3 levels – Station, Divisional Security Control and Zonal Security Control.

The 17 stations covered under this include Railway stations spread across three States: Adilabad, Begumpet, Lingampalli, Manchiryal and Warangal in Telangana; Guntur, Kadapa, Kurnool Town, Nellore, o­ngole, Rajahmundry and Tuni, in Andhra Pradesh; Aurangabad, Dharmabad, Jalna, Nagarsol, and Parli Vaijnath in Maharashtra.

RailTel, a Miniratna PSU under Ministry of Railways, has provided Internet Protocol (IP) based VSS at 13 Railway stations and integrated existing CCTV at 4 stations (i.e., Aurangabad, Guntur, Rajahmundry and Warangal) to set up the centralized control room. This is also the first time that the earlier Internet Protocol (ONVIF) cameras installed by the Railways have been integrated with the new VSS system over Indian Railways.

The Railway Board has entrusted RailTel with the work of providing IP based VSS with video analytics and facial recognition system at all railway stations, premium and EMU coaches. As part of this, RailTel will be providing Video Surveillance System at A1, A, B, C, D and E category stations, coaches of premium trains and suburban EMU coaches.

Talking about the project of providing Video Surveillance System, Shri Puneet Chawla, Chairman and Managing Director, RailTel said ‘The Video Surveillance System will be extended to other stations and coaches soon. Two more stations (Bapatla and Purna) of SCR will have VSS in June-2021 and by the end of 2021-22 total 76 stations of SCR will be covered with this high-tech security system”

To have a better coverage and clearer image four different types of Full HD Cameras – Dome type, bullet types, Pan Tilt Zoom type and Ultra HD-4k cameras are being provided. The recording of the video feeds from CCTV cameras will be stored for 30 days for playback, post event analysis and for investigation purposes. Important videos can be stored for longer duration based o­n request from security agencies.

Talking about the system, Sh. Gajanan Mallya, GM/South Central Railway said, “RailTel has connected 520 CCTV cameras of these 20 stations o­n optical fiber cable to send the video feeds to the centralized CCTV control room where it is being monitored 24X7. 4K resolution Ultra HD cameras have also been deployed to facilitate facial recognition as well. This new VSS is going to enhance the security and safety of the passengers tremendously.”

- Don’t Believe Rumours o­n Some Media Platforms

- Sri. Gajanan Mallya, GM,SCR

Shri Gajanan Mallya, General Manager, South Central Railway stated that all train movements are going in an orderly fashion and there has been no overcrowding in any station in zonal jurisdiction. SCR will continue to take all precautions and ensure passenger travel in a safe condition. He also made an appeal to the people to desist from believing and spreading the rumors circulating o­n some media platforms. He conducted a virtual press conference o­n SCR’s performance and COVID-19 precautions being observed by the Zone today i.e., 9th April, 2021 from Rail Nilayam, Secunderabad and Media representatives participated through web conference.

The General Manager informed that, South Central Railway is presently running 180 originating reserved trains o­n an average per day to serve the travel needs of passengers duly observing the COVID-19 pandemic protocols in the station premises and in trains. It is running regular trains in all most all the directions including important destinations like New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Nanded, Aurangabad, Pune and Tirupati etc.

South Central Railway has further braced up to initiate various measures in the direction of implementing COVID-19 Protocol, keeping the interests of rail users foremost. All the rail users are requested to be vigilant against the COVID-19 virus and take necessary precautions while commencing their journey to avoid further repercussions, the General Manager added.

SCR’s performance during 2020-21

Shri Gajanan Mallya detailed that, South Central Railway accorded top priority to the enhancement of infrastructure during the pandemic period also. The collective efforts put by the team SCR with their hard work, excellence and co-ordination across all the departments has resulted in completion of the major infrastructural projects as per the targets along with several maintenance works.

Ø Safety continues to be top most priority for South Central Railway. After being a pioneer in the implementation of TCAS project during the development phase, SCR has put o­ne major step forward by extending the TCAS project to 321 additional kms spread over 34 stations.

Ø SCR completed construction of new lines for a length of 42.5 kms, which includes Manoharabad – Gajwel (31 kms) and Jaklair – Makthal (11.5 kms).

Ø SCR completed doubling of 161.5 kms, which includes Uppaluru – Gudivada – Moturu & Gudivada – Machilipatnam (68.7 kms), Nallapadu – Perecherla (7.8 kms), Gajjelakonda to Donakonda (12.4 kms), Pendekallu – Eduladodi (8.6 kms), Gollapalli – Shadnagar (30.2 kms), Chigicherla – Zangalapalle (10.7 kms), Taticherla – Garladinne (9.1 kms) and Falaknuma – Umdanagar (14.0 kms).

Ø SCR completed the tripling of 60.4 kms of its network during the current financial year. The works of tripling includes Raghavapuram – Kolanur – Potkapalli (Kazipet – Balharshah sectuion) for a length of 30.5 kms and Kavali – Ulavapadu (Vijayawada – Gudur section) for a length of 29.9 kms.

Ø SCR completed Gauge conversion works for a length of 44.4 kms between Akola – Akot section (part of Akola – Khandwa gauge conversion project).

Ø SCR electrified a total length of 750 track kilometres during the financial year, which includes 612.7 kms of new electrified sections and 137.1 kms of double and triple lines.

Ø SCR constructed Road Over Bridges, Road under Bridges and Limited Height Sub-ways to eliminate 81 Manned Level Crossings o­n the Zone.

Ø SCR has run 658 Time Tabled Parcel trains and transported 2, 63,393 tonnes of essential commodities to various destinations.

Ø SCR has run 310 Doodh Duronto Special Trains and transported 7.30 crore litres of Milk to New Delhi.

Ø SCR operated 120 Kisan Rails from the zone to various parts of the Nation and transported 39,561 Tonnes of Agricultural produce.