NEW DELHI: In a first, Indian Railways will get its own commando unit comprising 1,200 specially trained commandos who will operate in critical rail sectors including in Jammu & Kashmir, Naxal-affected areas and the north-east. On Wednesday, the first battalion of these Commandos for Railway Safety (CORAS) will be launched in the national capital.

“They have received special training to deal with crisis such as rail hostage and rail blockade. These commandos are physically more fit and will use modern weapons. We will be deploying them in sensitive sectors,” Arun Kumar, director general of Railways Protection Force(RPF), told TOI.

CORAS commandos will be undergoing training programmes including basic and advanced commando courses with specialisation in handling landmines and improvised explosive devices, hostage rescue, sniping and breaching. Consisting of Railway Protection Force (RPF) and RPSF personnel, the CORAS will be headed by the DG, RPF and will be given special uniforms with bullet-proof jackets and helmets.

The director general did not divulge how many will be deployed in which region. Kumar said the men of CORAS have received training in the NSG academy and Greyhounds, which specialise in anti-insurgency operations against Naxals. He added there are 14 battalions of Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF) and one of its battalion has been converted into CORAS.

