After CST shock, Pune station leaves nothing to chance

Pune railway station is not what it used to be, especially after the November 26 massacre of passengers at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai.

That’s the first impression one gets on noticing the men-in-khaki with “advanced weaponry” on platforms, pedestrian foot overbridges, at reservation counters and at entrance and exit points.

In a marked departure from the security system in existence prior to the Mumbai Terror siege, the Central Railway seems to have woken up quickly and gone all-out in deploying a large posse of police personnel. Refusing to put out a figure of those guarding the station, Divisional Railway Manager D K Jain said, “In a bid to ensure passenger safety, we have taken all necessary steps .”

Along with gun-wielding men in uniform, plainclothes police have also been deployed to keep a watch on any suspicious movements of commuters or detect any object lying around. The railway officials claim that they are closely monitoring all activities taking place inside the station area. “But for security reasons, we can’t reveal how that is being done,” Jain said.

Every commuter must probably be getting the same feel-safe factor because of the presence of the Government Railway Police (GRP) and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel, who seem to have taken over the Pune station.

While security has been clearly increased at the railway station, not all seems to be hunky dory. Several police personnel, it seemed, did not have the level of alertness required. Some railway policemen could be seen moving about lazily, while others were leaning against pillars. Some of them were seen talking on cellphone even as an express train chugged into the station.

At the main entrance, three women constables sat on a wooden sofa behind the metal detectors. But commuters with luggage in their hands comfortably made their way into the station through the right side, unchecked and unhindered.

Overcrowding seems to be a major problem, with reservation counters and current bookings facing the brunt of it. Commuters, with luggage scattered around them, were seen sprawled on the floor. The main foot overbridge was choc-a-bloc with passengers and relatives waiting for trains to arrive.

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