Top sources in the Railway Ministry said they have joined hands with the Defence Ministry and have already started working towards establishing the training institute in Jhansi (Uttar Pradesh) at a cost of Rs five crore.

The RTA was raised as an auxiliary force in 1949 for maintaining rail communication in forward areas during active hostilities and maintenance of essential rail transportation in the country in peace time.

"But, as the pattern of crime is changing and the country is witnessing frequent terror strikes, these men will be armed with the latest techniques and tactics," they said.

"It will be a modern training institute, equipped with the latest weaponry and gadgets. Other than providing basic training, personnel will be given advanced training to combat modern day crimes," the sources said.

They said the Army, as and when the need arises, would utilise the services of the RTA personnel.

The proposed institute will have special courses for disaster management and unarmed combat among others. At present the 6,000 RTA personnel are based in Kota, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Jamalpur (Jharkhand), Jhansi and Adra (West Bengal).

The force is primarily manned by the serving railway personnel with the help of a small nucleus of permanent staff drawn from the regular Army.

The sources said the institute will be ready by early next year and the railways would bear an expenditure of nearly Rs 2 crore annually on training these men.