Baggage screening soon at Ernakulam Junction

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Soon train travellers will need to submit their belongings to baggage screenings at the Ernakulam South railway station, just like at an international airport.

Work at the Ernakulam Junction, proposed to be raised to international standards, (as part of the Integrated Security System being set up in 14 stations in the southern region to ensure foolproof security), is nearing completion along with that of Calicut and could be ready in another two months.

“In Ernakulam Junction, we’re putting up three luggage scanners at the main entry, parcel office and the Eastern entry. It’s also proposed to install 67 CCTV cameras covering every nook and corner of the station.

The wiring works have almost been completed and all the equipment bought. Now just the final installation work remains,” a top RPF official said.

Hi-tech gadgets, including vehicle scanners to detect explosive substances in vehicles entering and leaving the station and multi-zone door frame metal detectors will also form part of the security system.

The RPF officials have already identified a central monitoring room near the second entry at the Eastern side and this has been handed over to the contractor for developing.

“The control room will facilitate monitoring of all movements in the station premises through the surveillance cameras,” he said.

NELCO, a Tata Group company, has been entrusted with the work at an average cost of Rs 3 crore per centre.

The security plan will be implemented in phases across the country. Among the stations identified for the first phase of implementation are Kochi, Calicut, Thiruvananthapuram and Coimbatore in the southern region.

The Kochi Police are also putting up CCTVs at the station entrance, the feeds of which can be monitored at the control room.