Railway-track deaths reduced by 10% in 2018

MUMBAI: NP NEWS 24 ONLINE- According to an old report, on average, about 2,000 people die annually on the Mumbai Suburban Rail network; between 2002 and 2012, more than 36,152 people died and 36,688 people were injured. A record 17 people died every weekday on the city’s suburban railway network in 2008.

In 2017, as per the data provided by the Government Railway Police (GRP) in response to the query, as many as 3,014 commuters died on the tracks on the western, central and harbour suburban services in the metropolis. Where 1,651 persons (1,467 men and 184 women) lost their lives while crossing tracks. Besides, 654 passengers, including 58 women, died after falling from running trains. 1,540 people were injured while travelling on the western line, 1,435 on the central line and 370 on the harbour line.

According to the 2018 report, stated that 3,506 people died in 2013, 3,423 in 2014, 3,304 in 2015, 3,202 in 2016, 3,014 2017 and 1,974 in the first 8 months of in 2018.

Now, the number of deaths in the suburban railway section has reduced by 10 per cent in 2018 as compared to 2017. In 2018 the number of people who lost their lives on the Mumbai’s lifeline were 2,734, while in 2017 the number stood at 3,014.

In 2014 as many as 3,423 people lost their lives on the railway tracks, which means more than nine deaths a day. The report claimed that as per the latest railway statistics, jaywalking caused 53 per cent of the fatalities as 1,476 people died while they were crossing the tracks as compared to 1,651 people died in 2017.

The major causes of deaths were track crossing, falling from moving trains, Natural deaths, Suicide, electric shocks, hitting against the pole and falling in the station-train gap.

Sachin Bhalode, senior RPF divisional security commissioner clarified that they had been able to bring down such cases of tress passing, due to effective patrolling and setting up of boundary walls across the suburban corridor. Meanwhile, the report also mentioned that a total of 650 passengers fell to death from running trains last year, while the number of commuters losing lives after falling into the gap between the platform and train reduced six.

Also, in 2018 after hitting against poles 18 people died as compared to 12 in 2017.