Lok Sabha Question No. 1444 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-19
Subject: Deaths at Unmanned Level Crossings
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: SATYA PAL SINGH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1444 TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.12.2018

## DEATHS AT UNMANNED LEVEL CROSSINGS

## †1444. SHRI SATYAPAL SINGH:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  a  large  number  of  people  including  women  and  children died in the accidents which occur while passing through the railway level  crossings  or  the  culverts  on  small  rivers,  drainages,  etc.  or while walking on the tracks in the absence of pedestrian way and if so, the details thereof; and
- (b) whether the Railway proposes to formulate any effective scheme as early as possible to save the lives of the people in view of the above points and if so, the details thereof?

ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS ( SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN )

- (a) and (b): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  AND  (b)  OF UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  1444  BY  SHRI  SATYAPAL  SINGH  TO  BE ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  19.12.2018  REGARDING  DEATHS  AT UNMANNED LEVEL CROSSINGS

(a): The number of people died including women and children on Railway tracks  due  to  Trespassing  including  the  people  died  while  passing through  the  railway  level  crossings  or  the  culverts  on  small  rivers, drainages  etc.  or  while  walking  on  the  tracks in  the  absence  of pedestrian  way,  during  the  years  2014,  2015,  2016  &  2017  over  Indian Railways is as under:

|   Year |   Number of people including women & children |
|--------|-----------------------------------------------|
|   2014 |                                         13145 |
|   2015 |                                         13093 |
|   2016 |                                         13129 |
|   2017 |                                         12661 |

(b):    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.

Elimination of Unmanned Level Crossings (UMLCs) has been top priority for Railways as level crossings are a safety hazard for both rail and road users  more  so  for  road  users.  It  is  submitted  that  all  UMLCs  on  Broad Gauge (BG) have now been eliminated except 28 UMLCs which have also been planned to be eliminated by closure, merger, subway and manning at the earliest.

Besides, the following corrective measures are also being taken by the Railways to prevent deaths in untoward incidents on Railway track:-

- i. 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.
- ii. 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.
- iii. 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.
- iv. Railway  Protection  Force  personnel  are  deployed  on  locations vulnerable for trespassing.
- v. Erection of boundary wall/fencing at identified locations, vulnerable to trespass.
- vi. Warning  sign  boards  are  provided  at  conspicuous  places  for  the awareness of passengers.
- vii. Unauthorized trespassing on Railway premises including the Railway track is a punishable offence under section 147 of the Railways Act, 1989.    During  the  current  year  upto  October,  2018  total  131770 persons have been prosecuted for trespassing over Indian Railways.

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