Central Railway to install CCTV cameras with face recognition system in Mumbai, at other stations

The Railway Board has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with RailTel in this regard, it said.

As many as 6122 Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) cameras including 3652 cameras with a face recognition system will be installed at 364 railway stations of the Central Railway, it said in a release on Tuesday.

The Railway Board has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with RailTel in this regard, it said. "Central Railway stations, including all stations on the Mumbai Suburban Network, will soon be equipped with face recognition cameras, a technology that will help apprehend wanted criminals and manage crowded areas," the release stated. But some stations like the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Dadar, Kurla, Thane, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and Kalyan will not be covered as these stations already have Integrated Security Systems (ISS). "Cameras with face recognition systems, video analytics, video management system will enhance passenger safety, control crime, deter law abusers and monitor compliance with railway rules," the release said, adding that these cameras represent a significant step towards "comprehensive surveillance".

These cameras can recognize a person whose face is stored in the database, instantly alerting the administration to the presence of known criminals as they enter a station, the release said, adding that they can identify various parts of a face, such as a retina or forehead. "Each HD camera consumes approximately 750 GB of data, while 4K cameras consume 3TB of data per month. The video footage will be stored for 30 days for post-event analysis, playback and investigation purposes, although important videos can be stored for a longer duration," the release said.