Patna: In a major step to enhance passenger safety and crowd management during the festive season, the railways has decided to introduce drone-based surveillance at major railway stations including Patna Junction falling under jurisdiction of Danapur division of the East Central Railway (ECR).According to ECR’s principal chief security commissioner cum IG RPF Amaresh Kumar, the initiative is part of a broader security plan aimed at providing a comprehensive surveillance network at all major railway stations across the ECR zone by March 2027. The long-term objective is to extend security surveillance to all stations under the zone in a phased manner, he said.As a pilot project Patna Junction has been equipped with a drone camera to monitor passenger movement and strengthen security arrangements during period of heavy rush. The railway protection force (RPF) personnel are currently undergoing specialised training to operate and monitor drone surveillance systems, he said adding the railways has so far procured six drones out of which Danapur division has got one followed by DDU (2), Sonepur (2) and Dhanbad (one).According to Kumar, the railways is under the process to procure seven more drones with the night vision facility to keep a close watch on anti social people. In addition the drones would be deployed to keep a close watch on critical areas such as foot overbridges (FOBs), platforms, booking counters and circulating areas, enabling railway authorities to regulate passenger flow and respond swiftly to emergencies, he said .The drone surveillance system is expected to play a crucial role during major festivals such as Durga Puja, Diwali, Chhath and Holi when passenger traffic witnesses a sharp increase at railway stations across Bihar and neighbouring states, he said adding the policy envisages deployment of drone surveillance at all stations recording a daily passenger footfall ranging between 25,000 and 2.5 lakh.The technology will supplement the existing CCTV network and on-ground security personnel providing real-time aerial monitoring of crowd movement. The introduction of drone surveillance is expected to improve crowd control, enhance emergency response capabilities and strengthen overall security arrangements, particularly during peak travel periods when stations experience unprecedented passenger congestion, RPF IG said.
