Railways may soon install 'panic button' in trains for women safety

In a bid to strengthen security for women passengers, North Eastern Railway has proposed to install panic buttons in coaches and deploy women police in trains during night hours. 

"These buttons, placed at convenient spots for easy reach of women travellers above the electric switches, when pressed will denote the coach where there is emergency and the railway staff present in the train will be informed to promptly attend to the emergency," chief public relations officer of North Eastern Railway, Sanjay Yadav noted. 

According to reports, women police personnel will be deployed in sub-urban trains during night hours besides recruitment of women in the Railway Police Force. The panic buttons installed will be linked with the guard coach. 

Yadav further noted that now female passengers will not have to depend on helpline numbers or resort to chain-pulling in an emergency situation. With the new system in place, immediate action can be taken, he added.

"Work on these proposals was going on and there are chances that the one pertaining to 'panic button' will take shape this year itself," he added.

The proposal also involves having a different colour on the coaches earmarked for women for easy identification, wire mesh in windows of ladies coaches, CCTV cameras in women coaches of suburban trains with live feed if possible, and enhanced punishment for offenders.

(With inputs from PTI)