Revealed: How Maoist plan to attack railways

Following intelligence inputs that Maoists are planning to sabotage railways after the monsoons, the Union ministry of home affairs in consultation with the railways on Tuesday decided to beef up security of rails, trains and stations in the worst Maoists-affected regions of Orissa, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh.

A high-level security review meeting chaired by home secretary RK Singh took stock of vulnerable railway sections in the four states where Maoists have carried out sabotage acts.

The meeting was attended by police chiefs of Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal, besides the railway board chairman Vinay Mittal.

Maoists have allegedly been responsible for 68 acts of sabotage of railways in the past two years, including derailment of Jnaneshwari Express in 2010 that killed 141 people and injured over 200.

“What we have gathered is that Maoists could target goods train, especially those ferrying coal, and mineral ore, tracks and railway stations close to their area of influence. With their exodus from Saranda forests fresh in mind, they can resort to violence anytime,” sources said.

The meeting decided to install CCTV cameras at all vulnerable stations, especially those near the tri-junction of Orissa, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Jharkhand borders, deploy more RPF  and GRP personnel at stations and in moving trains along with the state police.