Maintaining order include duties such as controlling passenger and vehicle traffic, arresting offenders, removing persons with infectious diseases and beggars, examining empty carriages, the removal of dead bodies of persons died on train or station premises, and moving sick passengers to hospitals.

The Government Railway Police (GRP) was formally established in 1887 in Bengal and Bombay, followed by Punjab two years later.

Initially, these railway police districts operated under the supervision of the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the Criminal Investigation Departments (CID).

[6] Since "police" and "public order" fall under the State List in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India, state governments are responsible for crime prevention, detection, registration, investigation, and maintaining law and order on railways within their jurisdictions.

[7] Although the Ministry of Railways funds 50% of the GRP's expenses, it has no administrative or operational control over the force.