**Executive Summary**
This document is a response from the Minister of Railways to questions raised in the Lok Sabha regarding women's safety on trains. It details the measures taken by the Railways in coordination with State Governments to ensure women's safety, addresses Railway Protection Force (RPF) vacancies and recruitment drives, and provides an update on recruitment processes conducted by the Railway Recruitment Boards (RRB). This document highlights ongoing recruitment efforts with centralized employment notifications and annual calendar recruitment, to increase opportunities for candidates.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **State Government Responsibility:**
* The document emphasizes that 'Police' and ‘Public Order' are State subjects and, therefore, State Governments are responsible for the prevention, detection, registration, and investigation of crime and maintenance of law and order on Railways.
* Government Railway Police (GRP)/District Police are the primary law enforcement agencies, with the Railway Protection Force (RPF) supplementing their efforts.
* **Women's Safety Measures:**
* The Railways take steps in coordination with the GRP for the safety and security of women passengers, prioritizing safety of women passengers and addressing concerns related to body related offences.
* Trains are escorted by Railway Protection Force and Government Railway Police personnel on vulnerable routes/sections.
* The ‘Meri Saheli' initiative provides safety and security for women passengers traveling alone on long-distance trains.
* Surveillance is maintained through CCTV cameras installed in coaches and railway stations.
* Passengers can make complaints on the Rail Madad Portal or through Helpline Number 139.
* Frequent announcements are made to educate passengers about safety precautions.
* Zonal railways have been instructed to deploy mixed male & female RPF personnel in train escort parties to the extent possible.
* Drives are conducted against male passengers entering compartments reserved for women.
* State Level Security Committees of Railways monitor and review security arrangements.
* **RPF Vacancies and Recruitment:**
* Vacancies are filled up primarily by placement of indents by Railways with recruitment agencies as per operational and technological requirements.
* Recruitment against 1,20,579 vacancies of non-gazetted personnel is underway as per the Annual Calendar 2024 and 2025.
* **RRB Recruitment Updates:**
* During January to December 2024, ten Centralized Employment Notifications (CENs) for 92,116 vacancies were notified.
* First and second stage Computer Based Tests (CBTs) for various posts including Assistant Loco Pilots, Technicians, and others have been completed.
* Physical Efficiency Test (PET) for vacancies of Constable (RPF) has commenced from 13.11.2025.
* Panels for more than 23,000 candidates including the posts of Technicians, Junior Engineers, Paramedical Categories, Sub-Inspectors (RPF) and Assistant Loco Pilots have been finalized.
* Seven CENs for 28,463 vacancies have been issued, as per the 2025 Annual Calendar.
* **System Improvement:**
* The Ministry of Railways has introduced an annual calendar for recruitment, providing benefits such as more opportunities, certainty of exams, and faster recruitment processes.
* Recruitment from 2014-2015 to 2024-2025 accounted for 5.08 lakh, which is higher than previous years.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder:** Women Passengers
* **Impact:** Benefits from increased safety measures on trains, including escort services, CCTV surveillance, and helpline accessibility.
* **Action Required:** Utilize available resources like the Rail Madad Portal and Helpline 139 to report incidents or seek assistance when needed.
**Stakeholder:** Railway Protection Force (RPF)
* **Impact:** Increased manpower through ongoing recruitment drives to enhance security on trains and railway premises.
* **Action Required:** Engage with the recruitment process to fill vacancies and undergo necessary training to fulfill security responsibilities.
**Stakeholder:** State Governments / Law Enforcement Agencies (GRP/District Police)
* **Impact:** Responsible for the prevention, detection, registration, and investigation of crime and maintenance of law and order on Railways.
* **Action Required:** Coordinate with the Railways to implement and enforce safety measures for women passengers.
**Stakeholder:** Job Aspirants
* **Impact:** Will benefit from the release of recruitment calendars and updates and get increased opportunities for available government job vacancies
* **Action Required:** Candidates must take steps to stay informed of updates from recruitment boards and apply for positions that they qualify for.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Railways: The primary government body responsible for railway operations and safety in India, addressing questions about women's safety on trains and recruitment.
Railway Protection Force (RPF): The security force responsible for protecting railway property and passengers, involved in preventing crime and filling vacant positions.
Government Railway Police (GRP): The state government's law enforcement agency responsible for maintaining law and order on Railways.
Meri Saheli Initiative: An initiative focused on providing safety and security to woman passengers travelling alone on long distance trains.
Constitution of India: The supreme law of India under which 'Police' and ‘Public Order' are State subjects.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1809
TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.12.2025
WOMEN SAFETY ON TRAINS
1809. SHRI K C VENUGOPAL:
Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:
(a) the details of reported cases of crimes against women passengers
on trains and railway premises during the last five years (2020-
2025), State/UT-wise;
(b) the primary issues faced by women commuters in ensuring safety
on trains;
(c) the details of the preventive measures implemented by the
Government for women's safety; and
(d) the vacancies in the Railway Protection Force (RPF) for positions
including Constables, Sub-Inspectors, Assistant Sub-Inspectors and
other ranks along with the reasons for delays in filling these posts
and the timeline for completing the ongoing recruitment drive to
enhance security on trains, Zone-wise?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND
ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)
(a) to (d): ‘Police’ and ‘Public Order’ are State subjects under the Seventh
Schedule to the Constitution of India and therefore, State Governments
are responsible for prevention, detection, registration, and investigation
of crime and maintenance of law and order on Railways through their law
enforcement agencies viz. Government Railway Police (GRP)/District
Police. Railway Protection Force (RPF) supplements the efforts of GRP/
District Police to provide better protection and security to railway-2-
property, passenger area and passengers and for matters connected
therewith.
The details of cases of crimes against women passengers over Indian
railways are published by National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) in Crime
in India.
Safety of women is accorded the high priority in Indian Railways. The
concerns of women passengers majorly relate to body related offences
against them and to prevent any such crime, following steps are being
taken by the Railways in coordination with GRP for safety and security of
women passengers:
1. On vulnerable and identified routes/sections, trains are escorted by
Railway Protection Force in addition to trains escorted by
Government Railway Police personnel daily.
2. Under ‘Meri Saheli’ initiative, focused attention has been provided for
safety and security of woman passengers travelling alone by long
distance trains for their entire journey i.e. from originating station to
destination station.
3. Surveillance is kept through CCTV cameras provided in a number of
coaches & Railway Stations for enhanced security of passengers.
4. For immediate assistance, passengers can make complaint on Rail
Madad Portal directly or through Helpline Number 139 [integrated
with Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) No.112].
5. Railways are in regular touch with passengers through various social
media platforms like Twitter & Facebook etc. to enhance security of
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passengers and to address their security concern.
6. Frequent announcements are made through Public Address System
to educate passengers to take precautions against theft, snatching,
drugging etc.
7. Zonal railways have been instructed for deployment of proper
combined strength of male & female RPF/RPSF personnel in train
escort parties to the extent possible.
8. Drives are conducted against entry of male passengers into the
compartment reserved for women and legal action is taken against
the offenders.
9. State Level Security Committee of Railways (SLSCR) have been
constituted under the Chairmanship of Director General of
Police/Commissioner of State for regular monitoring and review of
security arrangements of the Railways.
Occurrence and filling up of vacancies are continuous processes on
Indian Railways considering its size, spatial distribution and criticality of
operation. Adequate and suitable manpower is provided to cater to the
regular operations, changes in technology, mechanisations and
innovative practices. The vacancies are filled up primarily by placement
of indents by Railways withRecruitment agencies as per operational and
technological requirements.
Presently recruitment against 1,20,579 vacancies of non-gazetted
personnel has been taken up on Indian Railways as per Annual Calendar
2024 and 2025.
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During January to December 2024, ten Centralized Employment
Notifications (CENs) for 92,116 vacancies were notified for filling up of
posts of Assistant Loco Pilots (ALPs), Technicians, Sub-Inspectors,
Constables in Railway Protection Force (RPF), Junior Engineers (JEs)/
Depot Material Superintendent (DMS)/ Chemical & Metallurgical
Assistant (CMA), Paramedical Categories, Non-Technical Popular
Categories (Graduate), Non-Technical Popular Categories (Under-
Graduate), Ministerial & Isolated Categories and Level-1 categories such
as Assistants, Track Maintainers and Pointsman.
First stage/Single stage Computer Based Tests (CBTs) for 59,678 posts
has been completed. Details are as under:-
Exam Candidates Cities Languages
1st Stage CBT for the post of ALP (18,799 18,40,347 156 15
vacancies)
CBT for the post of Technician (14,298 26,99,892 139 15
vacancies)
1st Stage CBT for the post of JE/DMS/CMA 11,01,266 146 15
(7,951 vacancies)
CBT for the post of RPF-SI (452 15,35,635 143 15
vacancies)
CBT for the post of RPF-Constable (4,208 45,30,288 147 15
vacancies)
CBT for Paramedical Categories (1,376 7,08,321 143 15
vacancies)
1st Stage CBT for Non-Technical Popular 58,41,774 141 15
Categories (Graduate) (8,113 vacancies)
1st Stage CBT for Non-Technical Popular 63,27,473 157 15
Categories (Under Graduate) (3,445
vacancies)
CBT for Ministerial & Isolated categories 4,46,013 139 15
(1,036 vacancies)
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2nd stage CBTs for the posts of ALP, JE/DMS/CMA and Non-Technical
Popular Categories (Graduate) has also been completed. Details are as
under: -
Exam Candidates Cities Languages
2nd Stage CBT for the post of ALP 2,66,363 112 15
(18,799 vacancies)
2nd Stage CBT for the post of 1,17,339 118 15
JE/DMS/CMA (7,951 vacancies)
2nd Stage CBT for Non-Technical 1,21,931 129 15
Popular Categories (Graduate)
(8,113 vacancies)
Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) for the post of ALP has also been
completed. Details are as under:-
Exam Candidates Cities Languages
CBAT for the post of ALP (18,799 1,32,044 84 2
vacancies)
CBT for 32,438 vacancies for level -1 categories has commenced from
27.11.2025 in 140 cities in 15 languages. Physical efficiency Test (PET)
for 4,208 vacancies of Constable (RPF) has commenced from 13.11.2025.
Panels for more than 23,000 candidates or various posts including the
posts of Technicians, Junior Engineers, Paramedical Categories, Sub-
Inspectors (RPF) and Assistant Loco Pilots have been finalised. Majority
of them are in safety categories.
In addition, as per Annual Calendar for the year 2025, seven Centralized
Employment Notifications (CENs) for 28,463 vacancies have also been
--6/--6-
issued. Details are as under:-
S. No. CEN No. Post Name No. of Month of
Vacancies Notification
notified
1 01/2025 Assistant Loco Pilots 9,970 March 2025
2 02/2025 Technicians 6,238 June 2025
3 03/2025 Para-Medical Categories 434 July 2025
4 04/2025 Section Controllers 368 August 2025
5 05/2025 Junior Engineers / Depot 2,585 October 2025
Material Superintendent
6 06/2025 NTPC (Graduate) 5,810 October 2025
7 07/2025 NTPC (Under-Graduate) 3,058 October 2025
The RRB examinations are quite technical in nature entailing large scale
mobilization of men and resources and training of manpower. Railway
overcame all these challenges and successfully conducted the
recruitment in a transparent manner following all laid down guidelines.
No instance of paper leakage or similar malpractice has occurred during
the entire process.
Recruitment done in Indian Railways during 2004-2005 to 2013-2014 vis-
à-vis during 2014-2015 to 2024-2025 is given as under:-
Period Recruitments*
2004-2005 to 2013-2014 4.11 lakh
2014-2015 to 2024-2025 5.08 lakh
*Including level-1 and Security related posts.
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Further, as system improvement, the Ministry of Railways has
introduced a system of publishing the annual calendar from 2024 for
recruitment to various categories of Group ‘C’ posts. The introduction of
the annual calendar is benefitting the aspirants in the following manner:
• More opportunities for candidates;
• Opportunities to those becoming eligible every year;
• Certainty of exams;
• Faster Recruitment process, Training and Appointments
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