CHENNAI: At least two persons on an average come under the wheels of a speeding train everyday while attempting to cross the railway tracks in and around Chennai. According to statistics released by the Government Railway Police (GRP), 826 people were killed in 2011 after being hit by moving trains in suburban Chennai. Compared to 2010, which saw 759 deaths due to railway trespassing, the number of deaths in 2011 reported an increase of about 10 per cent.Police said the findings are a matter of concern, as the deaths have been reported despite the presence of foot over-bridges at all stations.Of the whopping 2,330 railway trespassing accidents reported in 2011 across Tamil Nadu, about 36 per cent have taken place in Chennai and its fringe areas. The Chennai Beach-Chengalpattu section has been identified as the largest trespassing zone with 434 deaths reported on the 47 kilometre-stretch between Beach and Maraimalai Nagar railway stations. This is followed by the Korrukupettai–Arambakkam section, a distance of 58 kilometres, which comprises the urbanised North Chennai and a slew of villages in the neighbouring Tiruvallur district. It has reported 139 railway trespassing deaths last year.Poor awareness about the dangers involved in trespassing railway tracks could be one of the reasons why people cross tracks rather than use foot overbridges, police said. What is also evident from statistics is that a large number of deaths occurred when people used cell phones while crossing the tracks. This, perhaps, necessitates a much larger campaign than the one launched by the Chennai City Traffic Police on use of cell phones while driving. Besides, attempting to suddenly cross unmanned-level crossings and attempting to cross over the tracks in haste, unmindful of the approaching trains, are a few major causes of railway trespassing deaths.“A majority of passengers residing in villages in the Gummidipoondi section seldom use the foot over- bridges,” claimed a GRP official. “It has been observed that more senior citizens are killed while trespassing railway tracks as compared to youngsters in this section. Several victims were hit by the Express trains,” he added.Using cell phones is also one of the reasons for deaths in several cases, according to an official with the railway security. Especially, youngsters do so to attract the attention of the opposite sex. “But they don’t understand that it is nothing less than inviting death,” the officer said. Sheer ignorance of the rules and regulations on trespassing is the prime reason for this, the officer added.Trespassing across railway tracks is a punishable offence under Section 147 of the Indian Railways Act with imprisonment upto six months and/or a fine of up to Rs 1,000.
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