Mumbai lifeline has death tracks

The series of campaign against track crossing and roof-top travelling by the railways is yet to see result.  

Even as the Government Railway Police launched the Safety Week on Monday, railway officials have zeroed in on danger spots at the two stations which have seen the most deaths.

For more than a decade, Kurla on Central Railway and Borivli on Western Railway have emerged as the top killer stations on the city’s rail lines.

From 2002 to 2011, 4,866 deaths have occurred under the jurisdiction of Kurla station and 4,217 deaths have been reported from Borivli station.

The casualties are because of train accidents such as track crossing, falling from train and roof-top travelling. The railways have identified spots where there are a high number of deaths and have taken up measures like building bridges and putting up fences to curb trespassing.

A senior railway police official said there is a high density of passengers at these stations leading to the high death rate. Besides, a large number of slumdwellers staying along tracks and pedestrians crossing the level crossing gates are responsible for the alarming figures.

The jurisdiction of both these stations is about 10 km and officials have identified four spots near Kurla and two near Borivli that are accident-prone. At the Kurla level-crossing, it is the railway employees from the nearby colony who cross tracks.

Kurla and Borivli are followed by Wadala, Andheri, Mankhurd, Kalyan and Vasai stations. “People use most of these spots to cross from east to west because there are no bridges. But things will improve as bridges along with concrete walls and fences are being built,” he added.

The latest data released by the railways stated that more than 3,500 people are killed every year in accidents such as falling in gaps between platform and train, crossing tracks and falling from running trains. “There are accidents because of carelessness and overcrowding,” said activist Samir Zaveri.

The court had ordered railways to park ambulances at stations and upgrade medical facilities after Zaveri approached the court for better medical facilities at stations.

“Kurla is a major station that is a crucial link to the business hub of Bandra-Kurla Complex and also Navi Mumbai is overcrowded with commuters 24x7,” said Subhash Gupta, former member of National Railway Users’ Consultative Committee.

Around 40 foot and road overbridges have been sanctioned for the 60-km distance between Churchgate and Virar.