Mumbai, Dec 18: The railway ministry is planning to fence rail tracks across Mumbai to prevent accidents. To curb accidents involving Mumbai suburban train users, railway minister Mamata Banerjee has said the ministry will discuss the measure with the state government.
“We will take up the issue with Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan. People often breach the guard wall. Since security is a state subject, the state government needs to look into the matter,” Banerjee said in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
The government also plans to plant trees to act as a barrier, according to Banerjee.
Explaining the plan, a Western Railway official said that a three-pronged strategy has beenworked out to deal with trespassing. “We are making trespassing a difficult option for the commuter. We are also ensuring compliance of the norms and facilitating it with the help of various agencies, including the railways.”
In addition, physical barriers are being created to stop trespassing. Boundaries are being erected on both sides of the tracks to secure them. Also, at the stations, track dividers are being erected between tracks to prevent passengers from crossing from one platform to another, said the official.
Between Churchgate and Virar, a distance of 66 km has already been covered by the boundaries, and work on the remaining 12 km is underway. Also, 12.6 km of track dividers have been put up at the railway stations.
Even though the railways is using concrete walls, pre-cast walls, and fencing, officials admit to instances of them having been broken at certain places. “Hence, death and injury incidents have come down marginally, but they haven’t completely stopped,” said the official.
–Agencies