E-Paper
NCR RPF’s ‘Meri Saheli’ teams striving for safe rail travel for women
The ‘Meri Saheli’ teams, comprised of women RPF personnel, are assigned the task of escorting trains to ensure the security of women traveling alone.
PRAYAGRAJ: Railway officials have disclosed that the all-women ‘Meri Saheli’ squad of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) from the North Central Railway (NCR) is actively engaging with women rail passengers, especially those traveling alone or in groups without any male companion, on both long and short-distance trains, providing them with moral support and assistance.
The RPF NCR is undertaking various measures to ensure the safety of women passengers. The ‘Meri Saheli’ teams, comprised of women RPF personnel, are assigned the task of escorting trains to ensure the security of women traveling alone. They assist passengers in case of problems and even intervene in situations involving children at risk or being trafficked.
To raise awareness about women’s security, a team of 24 RPF officers and staff, under the guidance of AN Sinha, IG-cum-Principal Chief Security Commissioner, participated in the 38th Indira Marathon held by the Sports Department of Uttar Pradesh in Prayagraj on November 19.
The RPF team, which included one Assistant Commandant, three Inspectors, five sub-inspectors, and 15 staff, including three women RPF personnel, carried messages like ‘Lacing up for women’s safety for rail travel where women feel secure,’ ‘Let us come together to ensure safe rail travel for women,’ and ‘Our aim is to make rail travel safer for women’ during the run.
The marathon participation aimed to promote safe and secure travel for women on trains, creating public awareness about various RPF initiatives for women’s safety and security on the Indian Railway network, according to Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, chief public relations officer (CPRO) of NCR.
In 2023, the RPF NCR demonstrated outstanding performance by rescuing 17 passengers from perilous situations near moving trains. Under operation ‘Nanhe Farishte,’ the RPF NCR rescued 738 unaccompanied children at risk in stations and trains, preventing them from falling victim to child abuse, Upadhyay added.
The NCR CPRO mentioned that under the guidance of AN Sinha, IG-cum-Principal Chief Security Commissioner, all three NCR divisions, including Jhansi, Agra, and Prayagraj, are diligently working to ensure the security of the traveling public in general, with a special focus on women. Women RPF personnel deployed throughout NCR are attending to women passengers, elderly women, and children, addressing their security-related issues to ensure safe rail travel for them.
