Lok Sabha Question No. 1222 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-25
Subject: Crime in Trains
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: SUSHIL KUMAR SINGH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1222 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.07.2018

## CRIME IN TRAINS

†1222.  SHRI SUSHIL KUMAR SINGH:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  effective  steps  to check  rail  accidents  and  the  rising  incidents  of  crime  in trains;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the incidents of crime, delay in running of trains and rail accidents have been increased during the last one year; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof, zone-wise?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

(SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)

- (a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

*****

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1222 BY SHRI SUSHIL KUMAR SINGH TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  25.07.2018  REGARDING CRIME IN TRAINS

(a) & (b): Safety is accorded the highest priority by Indian Railways and  all  possible  steps  are  undertaken  on  a  continual  basis  to prevent  accidents  and  to  enhance  safety.  These  include  timely replacement of over-aged assets, adoption of suitable technologies for  upgradation  and  maintenance of track, rolling  stock, signalling and interlocking systems, safety drives, greater emphasis  on training  of  officials  and  safety  inspections  at  regular  intervals  to monitor  and  educate  staff  for  observance  of  safe  practices.  As  a result of these efforts the number of consequential train accidents have  decreased  from  104  in  2016-17  to  73  in  2017-18.    Year-wise details of these consequential train accidents are given below:

| Type of accidents                 | 2016-17   | 2017-18   |
|-----------------------------------|-----------|-----------|
| Collisions                        | 5         | 3         |
| Derailments                       | 78        | 54        |
| Manned Level Crossing Accidents   | -         | 3         |
| Unmanned Level Crossing Accidents | 20        | 10        |
| Fire                              | 1         | 3         |
| Miscellaneous Accidents           | -         | -         |
| Total                             | 104       | 73        |

Policing  on  Railways  being  a  State  subject,  prevention  of crime, registration of cases, their investigation and maintenance of law & order in Railway premises as well as on running trains is the statutory  responsibility  of  the  State  Governments,  which  they discharge through Government Railway Police (GRP)/District Police.

However, Railway Protection Force (RPF) supplements the efforts of GRP to provide better protection and security of passenger area & passengers and for matters connected therewith.

Besides, the efforts of GRP, following steps have been taken by the Railways to prevent crime incidents and to ensure secure journey of passengers in trains:-

1. On vulnerable and identified routes/sections, 2500 trains (on an average)  are  escorted  by  Railway  Protection  Force  daily,  in addition to 2200 trains escorted by Government Railway Police of different States daily.
2. Surveillance  is  kept  through  CCTV  cameras  to  ensure  safety and  security  of  passengers.  At  present,  CCTV  cameras  are provided at 436 stations over Indian Railways.
3. Security  Help  Line  number  182  is  operational  over  Indian Railways  for  round  the  clock  security  related  assistance  to passengers in distress. It is being upgraded.
4. An Integrated Security System (ISS) consisting of surveillance of vulnerable stations through Close Circuit Television Camera Network, Access Control etc. has been sanctioned to improve surveillance mechanism over 202 Railway stations.
5. Frequent  announcements  are  made  through  Public  Address System  to  educate  passengers  to  take  precautions  against theft, snatching, drugging etc.
6. Through various social media platforms viz. Twitter, Facebook etc.,  Railways  are  in  regular  touch  with  passengers  including women passengers  to  enhance  security  of  passengers  and  to address their security concern.
7. Drives  are  conducted  from  time  to  time  against  the  entry  of unauthorized persons in trains and railway premises.
8. Regular coordination is made with the State Police/GRP authorities at all levels for prevention of crime, registration of cases,  their  investigation  and  maintenance  of  law  &  order  in Railway premises as well as on running trains.
9. (c) & (d): Consequential train accidents have come down from 104 in  2016-17  to  73  in  2017-18.    Zone-wise  details  of  consequential train accidents are given as under:

| RAILWAY            |   2016-17 |   2017-18 |
|--------------------|-----------|-----------|
| NORTHERN           |        14 |        16 |
| SOUTH CENTRAL      |         1 |         3 |
| NORTH EASTERN      |         3 |         5 |
| NORTH WESTERN      |         4 |         5 |
| SOUTH EASTERN      |         2 |         3 |
| CENTRAL            |         7 |         8 |
| METRO/KOLKATA      |         0 |         0 |
| KONKAN             |         1 |         1 |
| EAST CENTRAL       |        17 |         9 |
| NORTHEAST FRONTIER |         8 |         2 |
| EASTERN            |         7 |         2 |
| SOUTHERN           |         8 |         3 |
| SOUTH EAST CENTRAL |         5 |         1 |
| EAST COAST         |         7 |         4 |
| WESTERN            |         8 |         5 |
| NORTH CENTRAL      |         7 |         5 |
| SOUTH WESTERN      |         3 |         1 |
| WEST CENTRAL       |         2 |         0 |
| TOTAL              |       104 |        73 |

Cases of Indian Penal Code (IPC) in trains are registered and investigated  by  the  concerned  GRP.  Whenever  any  information about  status  of  crimes  on  Railways  is  sought,  State  GRP  is requested  to  provide  information.  As  per  the  data  provided  by Government  Railway  Police  Stations,  incidents  of  crime  in  trains have increased during the year 2017 as compared to the year 2016. Based  on  the  data  received  from  Government  Railway  Police Stations,  the  zone-wise  number  of  cases  registered  for  crime  in trains during the year 2017 over Indian Railways is as under:

| Number of cases registered for crime in trains during the year 2017   | Number of cases registered for crime in trains during the year 2017   |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Zonal Railway                                                         | Number of cases registered                                            |
| Central                                                               | 8721                                                                  |
| Eastern                                                               | 831                                                                   |
| East Central                                                          | 951                                                                   |
| East Coast                                                            | 569                                                                   |
| Northern                                                              | 3737                                                                  |
| North Central                                                         | 1291                                                                  |
| North Eastern                                                         | 499                                                                   |
| Northeast Frontier                                                    | 283                                                                   |
| North Western                                                         | 465                                                                   |
| Southern                                                              | 1472                                                                  |
| South Central                                                         | 2527                                                                  |
| South Eastern                                                         | 447                                                                   |
| South East Central                                                    | 879                                                                   |
| South Western                                                         | 546                                                                   |
| Western                                                               | 4373                                                                  |
| West Central                                                          | 1517                                                                  |

*****