The duties allotted to the Railway Protection Force (RPF) are usually limited to protection of railway property, and the prosecution of offenders on the rail networks. But since January this year, they have donned the role of watchmen, guarding not only the railway premises, but the lives of its passengers. 78 RPF personnel have been deployed at accident-prone spots on the Western Railway (WR) line to keep vigil on commuters and prevent accidents. Their efforts have yielded some fruit. The number of accidents on the WR line has been significantly lower, in comparison to the corresponding months of January-April last year.

File pic