Rail Budget 2014: Special steps to be taken for safety of women in trains

NEW DELHI: Special steps are being taken and instructions issued to ensure safety of women travelling alone in all classes of trains, Railways Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said today.

Introducing the Railway Budget 2014-15, Gowda said that in order to ensure security of ladies travelling alone, special instructions are being issued for their safety in each class of travel.

Gowda said that to strengthen security in trains and at stations, 17,000 RPF constables have been recruited and they will be shortly available for deployment.

"We also propose to recruit 4,000 women RPF constables," he said.

Gowda said that with the induction of women RPF constables, coaches for ladies will be escorted. Additional care will be taken for ladies travelling alone in all classes, he said.

He said RPF personnel escorting trains will be provided mobile phones so that passengers can contact them when in distress. Security helpline will be augmented, he said.

Gowda said the possibility of building boundary walls around stations through Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode will be explored.