50,000 mowed down in three years

Railway tracks and level crossings have become one of the biggest killers in India. Over 50,000 people have been mowed down on the deadly tracks in over three years - from 2009 to June 2012 - for which figures are available

The shocking truth about India's deadly railways: Rail Ministry admits 50,000 have been mown down by trains in just THREE years Railway tracks have become one of the biggest killers in India. Over 50,000 people have been mowed down on the deadly tracks in over three years - from 2009 to June 2012 - for which figures are available. "These deaths are not accident related, but those who lost their lives for trespassing and encroaching around the railway tracks,'' said the railway ministry.

A probe in the safety record of Indian Railways after the ghastly accident in Bihar's Khagaria on Monday in which 37 were run over by a train, revealed shocking details. According to Railways' own safety figures, nearly 14,376 people had died on the tracks in 2009, followed by 12,894 deaths in 2010 and 14,611 in the following year.

Railways had compiled figures only up to June 2012, which shows another 8,412 deaths in those six months. The figure could touch 60,000 if one takes into account the latest fatalities on tracks up to June 2013, says a senior Railway Board official, requesting anonymity. The official added: "The figure doesn't include those killed in accidents, derailments, blasts and incidents of fire.''

Among the states that have reported the high fatalities on railway tracks are Maharashtra, which alone accounts for over 10,000 deaths for the 2009 to June 2012 period. Closely following Maharashtra is Tamil Nadu, which has recorded nearly 6,000 deaths and then comes West Bengal where, again, nearly 6,000 people came under running trains.

In one recent case, a speeding train rammed into a bus carrying a marriage party killing 31 on the spot. Investigations have showed that in some cases, people have been run over as they could not hear the approaching trains because they had earphones plugged in or were talking on their phones.

However, a railway official conceded that in some cases safety practices left much to be desired. "At least on one count the largest transporter is found partially responsible as the vacancies of gangmen, who guard and supervise the tracks and man level crossings in remote sectors, are pending,'' says a senior official.

Remote sectors apart, deaths on the tracks are reported from the VIP Delhi Division as well. Nearly 1,800 people have been between 2009 and June 2012, says ministry records. "Most of these deaths in Delhi are of encroachers living next to the tracks or those who are in hurry to cross the tracks,'' says the official.

Haryana and Punjab, which recently began awareness campaigns to highlight the dangers of crossing railway tracks, have reported a high number of track fatalities. In Punjab, nearly 3,000 people have been killed on the tracks, while in neighbouring Haryana, 3,600 were run over by speeding trains.

The rail ministry often blames the funds crunch for its inability to meet safety standards and security around its stations and the entire track length. But sources conceded that what happened in Khagaria on Monday was avoidable and could have been averted with extra deployment of railway safety personnel at the station.

(the report was originally published in Mail Today)