Pune: The Railway Protection Force (RPF) in the Pune Railway Division is struggling with a significant manpower shortage, with 98 positions currently vacant. The recent inclusion of new areas such as Daund and Ahilyanagar (Ahmednagar) has further added to the workload. The division’s jurisdiction now extends to Beed district, leading to operational challenges and increasing the workload for the existing personnel.

The Pune Railway Division, a critical section of Central Railways, is facing difficulty ensuring adequate staff at various stations. Many smaller and medium-sized railway stations do not have any RPF staff, raising concerns about passenger safety. The Pune Railway Station, the division's largest and busiest station, is also facing a shortage of personnel.

Recognizing the urgency, the Pune RPF has decided to seek assistance from the Maharashtra Security Force (MSF). A proposal has been submitted to deploy 41 MSF personnel to manage essential tasks such as passenger crowd management, patrolling, and parking operations.

Current Manpower Details:

• Existing RPF personnel: 546

• Vacant RPF positions: 98

• Proposed MSF personnel: 41

This collaboration is expected to provide some relief and improve security and management at the railway stations under the Pune Division.

Pune Railway Station has seen a sharp rise in the number of commuters using its local, DEMU (Diesel Electric Multiple Unit), and passenger train services in the last six months. Compared to the same period last year, there has been an increase of 4.9 million passengers, with a total of 37.2 million people traveling during this time.