In a major exercise aimed at strengthening security preparedness at one of the country’s busiest railway hubs, the National Security Guard (NSG) conducted a joint Counter-Terrorism mock drill at Howrah Railway Station during the intervening night of September 28 and 29.
The exercise was conducted by the 29 Special Composite Group of the NSG, with a simulated terrorist attack aboard the Vande Bharat Express forming the centrepiece of the drill. Personnel from multiple agencies, including the Railway Protection Force (RPF), West Bengal Special Task Force (STF), West Bengal Police and Fire Services, participated in the exercise.
The mock drill was designed to test and strengthen the ability of different security and emergency-response agencies to work together during a potential counter-terrorism contingency at a critical transportation facility. During such a simulated crisis, coordination between specialised counter-terrorism units, railway security personnel, state police and emergency services becomes crucial.
The exercise provided participating agencies with an opportunity to practise coordinated response mechanisms, information sharing and the execution of their respective operational responsibilities under a simulated threat scenario.
The drill at Howrah comes amid a series of security and preparedness exercises involving the NSG and other security agencies across West Bengal in recent months.
The force has previously participated in joint counter-terrorism exercises in the Sundarbans, where security personnel practised responses to simulated terrorist threats, including hostage rescue, room intervention, cordoning operations and casualty evacuation. The NSG also recently conducted a capacity-building programme for West Bengal STF personnel under the Ministry of Home Affairs’ “Duty to Share” initiative.
The programme focused on specialised skills including room intervention, combat medical care, unarmed combat, physical fitness and bomb disposal.
In another major exercise, the NSG participated in Exercise Sagar Kavach at the Haldia Dock Complex, alongside agencies including the Indian Coast Guard, Indian Navy, West Bengal Police, BSF, CISF and Intelligence Bureau. The exercise included a simulated hostage-rescue operation aboard a merchant vessel.
Against this backdrop, the latest drill at Howrah Railway Station highlights the continued focus on strengthening inter-agency coordination and preparedness to respond to threats involving critical infrastructure and mass transportation systems.
The realistic simulation at Howrah also enabled participating agencies to assess their response mechanisms in a railway environment, identify coordination requirements and reinforce their respective roles during a crisis. The exercise ultimately reaffirmed the participating agencies’ commitment to ensuring a swift, coordinated and effective response to counter-terrorism contingencies, while strengthening the security preparedness of critical transportation infrastructure in West Bengal.