To curb misconduct and enhance passenger safety, the Ministry of Railways has opted to install CCTV cameras in every coach. These advanced cameras, capable of capturing clear video at 100 km/h and under low-light conditions, will also be fitted in the locomotives. The choice was made during a review meeting convened by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

To preserve the privacy of passengers, CCTV cameras will be installed in the common movement area near the doors.
At present, semi-high speed trains like Vande Bharat, Tejas Express, and the superfast Amrit Bharat Express are equipped with CCTV cameras.

A test run for the initiative was conducted on several coaches and locomotives in the Northern Railway. During the review meeting with senior Railway Board officials, it was concluded to set up CCTV cameras in all over 7,400 coaches and approximately 15,000 locomotives.

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Every railway coach will be equipped with a total of four dome-style CCTV cameras — two positioned on each side of the entrance. Every locomotive will have six CCTVs installed — one positioned at the front, one at the back, and one on both the left and right sides, all externally. Inside the locomotive, there will be one dome CCTV located at both the front and rear sides. The locomotives will additionally have the two microphones mounted on desks.

The Standardization Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) directorate will certify these cameras.

These cameras will assist the Railway personnel in recognizing wrongdoers. Considering passenger privacy, these cameras will be placed solely at the entry gate of the coaches. During the meeting, it was also agreed to investigate the application of AI on the data collected by CCTV cameras, in partnership with the IndiaAI mission.

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The trial effectively decreased the number of cameras from three (previously specified by Research Designs & Standard Organization (RDSO)) to two at each end of the coach. The suggested placement of two cameras ensured that all four doors in any AC coach at both ends were monitored. This was similarly accepted by the Railway Board and authorized for execution.