Railway tracks turn death traps in Coimbatore

Coimbatore: Kumar, 39, a vegetable vendor from Veerapandi, was attempting to cross a railway track near Karamadai on Aug 26 this year when a train hit him, killing him on the spot. Like him, 78 others also have lost their lives while crossing the tracks in the district till Aug 31 this year. In the comparable period last year, 83 deaths on tracks were reported in the district.

According to an activist, one of the contributing factors for the deaths on railway tracks is the lack of proper sanitation facilities for the families residing near them. "Most of them are forced to use the railway areas for their morning routines, leaving them vulnerable to accidents. The use of earphones and mobile phones while crossing railway tracks is also identified as a significant risk factor, particularly among the youth."

P Rajendran, a member of the Salem Divisional Railway Users Consultative Committee, notes that most accidents occur between midnight and early morning when the people residing near the tracks venture out to attend nature's call. "Educating the public about the dangers of trespassing on tracks and reinforcing that railway tracks are not pedestrian pathways is crucial for reducing these tragic incidents."

Another activist, K Dhayanath, suggested that authorities identify the areas with high incidence of deaths on tracks and install AI-based camera and sensor systems to monitor and alert the people crossing the tracks about incoming trains. "This technological intervention could also be utilized to prevent people from trespassing on railway tracks."

K Babu, deputy superintendent of police, Govt Railway Police (GRP), Coimbatore, emphasized the need for fencing the hotspots for deaths on tracks to prevent the public from entering tracks. "Installing a fence will help drastically reduce the death rates on tracks. The GRP has already requested railway authorities to take action in this regard."

An official attached to Salem division of Southern Railway says work on installing ‘W-beam' fence was under way from Jolarpet to Podanur. "More than 50% of the work is over. We hope to completely prevent people from trespassing on the tracks with this initiative."

Upendra Kumar, inspector, Railway Protection Force, Coimbatore, warns that trespassing on railway tracks is a punishable offense under Section 147 of the Indian Railways Act, which attracts fines or imprisonment, or both. "We are conducting awareness programmes in schools, residential areas and religious places near the tracks to educate the public about the dangers posed by trespassing on railway tracks."