New Delhi, July 14: India will install CCTV cameras in all 74,000 railway coaches and 15,000 locomotives across its national rail network in a move officials say will significantly enhance passenger safety and deter criminal activity. The decision was finalised on July 12 during a review meeting chaired by Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, according to a statement from the Ministry of Railways on Sunday. The initiative follows pilot installations in Northern Railways.
“This move will significantly improve passenger safety. Miscreants and organised gangs often take advantage of gullible passengers. With CCTV surveillance, such incidents are expected to reduce substantially,” railway officials said.
Each passenger coach will be fitted with four dome-type cameras, with two cameras positioned at each entrance. Locomotives will be equipped with six cameras — including one each on the front, rear, and both sides — as well as one dome camera in each cab and two desk-mounted microphones.
To safeguard privacy, the cameras will be installed only in common movement areas near the doors, the ministry said.
The new surveillance system will feature high-resolution cameras capable of capturing footage in low-light conditions and at speeds exceeding 100 kmph. All equipment will be certified under the Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
Minister Vaishnaw also directed officials to explore artificial intelligence (AI) applications for analyzing video data, in collaboration with the IndiaAI Mission. The nationwide rollout marks a major step in the government’s digital modernization of railway infrastructure and is expected to support crime prevention and passenger monitoring without compromising privacy.
