SCR advisory to passengers for safe Diwali travel

Hyderabad: In view of the ensuing Dewali festive, South Central Railway is going to undertake checks to prevent the carriage of firecrackers / inflammable substances in trains and railway premises.

Carrying such items in trains or at stations poses a grave risk to safety and it creates a highly unsafe situation for all the passengers. SCR officials have appealed to the rail passengers not to carry inflammable/explosive materials/firecrackers in trains, endangering the safety of passengers and railway assets.

Carrying inflammable and explosive articles in a train is a punishable offence under Sections 164 and 165 of the Railway Act 1989, with a fine up to Rs 1,000 or three years of imprisonment or both. In the interest of public safety, SCR officials urged the passengers that in case they notice firecrackers or any other suspicious/dangerous explosive/inflammable material in trains or at stations, they may immediately inform the nearest railway staff or call the security helpline-139 so as to enable railways to initiate necessary action.

To prevent the carrying of firecrackers and inflammable articles, the railway protection force has formed special teams/quick reaction teams at all important stations to keep a watch on defaulting passengers and parcel-carrying persons duly utilising the services of sniffer dogs and plain cloth staff.

CCTV monitoring is also intensified by deploying trained/skilled staff to keep watch on suspected persons around the clock, said senior a officer, SCR.