More than 26 hours after the Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express was held hostage by Maoists, the Rajdhani Express which left Sealdah today had only two additional armed Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel for the driver and guard’s cabins besides its usual quota of security personnel.

As the 2313 Sealdah-New Delhi Rajdhani Express entered Sealdah station on Wednesday at 3.35 pm, questions about the safety of this elite train dominated everyone’s minds.

According to officials of the Eastern Railway, the Rajdhani Express leaving Sealdah usually has 10 armed RPF personnel along with one additional sub-inspector and one sub-inspector.

“After what happened on Rajdhani Express yesterday, two armed RPF personnel will escort the train and

be posted inside the driver and helper’s cabin. This kind of an armed escort would be there in all trains soon. Further, security arrangements would be taken soon. However, there is a limit to the supply of armed RPF personnel,” said a senior RPF official.

When the train arrived at the station and passengers started taking their seats, railway security personnel armed with sniffer dogs, metal detectors and mirror detectors took rounds and checked all coaches.

Passengers on board Rajdhani Express, however, were far from feeling safe. “We don’t have any option. We can only pray since we cannot stop travelling,” said Rameswar Jhar, a resident of Patuli who was on his way to Delhi with his wife and children.

Though the Sealdah-New Delhi Rajdhani Express would not be passing through Jhargram, it would cross Asansol, Dhanbad, Gaya and Mughalserai stations which are considered sensitive zones.

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