Lok Sabha Question No. 2844 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-10
Subject: Mumbai Suburban Railway System
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Manoj Kishorbhai Kotak

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2844 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.07.2019

## MUMBAI SUBURBAN RAILWAY SYSTEM

## 2844. SHRI MANOJ KOTAK:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that almost 3,000 people lose their lives every year on the railway tracks in Mumbai suburban railway system;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the action taken by the Railways for the safety of commuters; and
- (d) the  details  of  the  progress  made  on  infrastructure  front  in  Mumbai suburban railway system to save the commuter lives?

## MINISTER OF RAILWAYS AND COMMERCE & INDUSTRY

## ANSWER (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

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

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2844 BY SHRI MANOJ KOTAK TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 10.07.2019 REGARDING MUMBAI SUBURBAN RAILWAY SYSTEM

(a)  and  (b):  No  casualties  have  been  reported    in  consequential  train accidents  during  the  years  2016-17,  2017-18  and  2018-19  over  Mumbai suburban  railway  system.      However,  as  per  information  received  from Government Railway Police/Mumbai, during the years 2016, 2017 and 2018, total  3202,  3014  and  2981  people  respectively,  have  lost  their  lives  in Mumbai suburban Railway system due to various reasons such as suicide, murder, disposing of dead bodies on railway track, natural deaths due to illness, trespassing, falling from running trains etc.

- (c) and (d): Railways have constituted an interdepartmental 'Joint Committee' comprising officers of  Safety,  Security,  Signal  &  Engineering departments across all Zonal Railways to study the causes and suggest specific measures to minimise deaths due to untoward incidents including trespassing.  Accordingly, preventive and corrective measures are taken to improve and create infrastructure to minimise casualties. The following measures including infrastructural measures in Mumbai suburban railway system are being taken by the Railways to save the lives of commuters:-
- i. The central grab poles which are slippery are replaced by knurling type  grab  pole  in  Mumbai  Urban  Transport  Project  (MUTP)  Phase  I and II rakes for better grip in order to prevent incidents of falling of passengers from local trains.
- ii. 13 fully air conditioned Electrical Multiple Unit (EMU) rakes comprising 156 AC coaches and 7 partially air conditioned EMU rakes comprising 42 AC coaches are to be inducted in Central Railway and Western  Railway  in  addition  to  01  fully  air  conditioned  EMU  rake working in Western Railway. Further, it is planned to induct 47 fully

- air conditioned EMU rakes comprising 564 AC coaches under MUTPIII  and  191  fully  air  conditioned  EMU  rakes  comprising  2292  AC coaches under MUTP-IIIA  by Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation Ltd. All the fully  air  conditioned  EMU  rakes  shall  have  the  feature  of automatic opening and closing of doors for safety of passengers.
- iii. Passengers  Protection  Information  System  (Blue  Light  System)  on doors  of  local  train  to  alert  passengers  not  to  board  when  train  is about  to  start,  is  under  consideration  of  both  CR  &  WR  subject  to outcome of trials currently underway.
- iv. Railways  has  been  constructing  FOBs  at  places  where  passengers are required to cross tracks.
- v. Erection of boundary wall/fencing at identified locations, vulnerable to trespass.
- vi. Raising  of  the  heights  of  platforms  of  Mumbai  suburban  railway stations.
- vii. Regular announcements are made through Passenger Address System  at  Railway  stations  urging  passengers  to  use  foot  over bridges (FOBs) and to avoid crossing of railway tracks.
- viii. Various awareness campaigns are organized by Railways to sensitize passengers about the fatalities of crossing railway tracks, foot-board/ roof-top travelling, boarding/de-boarding running trains etc.
- ix. Warning  sign  boards  are  provided  at  conspicuous  places  for  the awareness of passengers.
- x. Regular drives are conducted against trespassing, travelling on footboard,  steps,  roof  top  of  trains,  boarding/de-boarding  running  trains and  the  persons  apprehended  are  prosecuted  under  the  relevant provisions of the Railways Act, 1989.

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