As many as 326 persons were killed in rail accidents in the district last year, with an average of 27 deaths a month being reported by officials of the Railway Police Department.
Besides, a large number of people were injured or maimed in the accidents that took place on railway tracks, with negligent crossing of tracks being one of the primary reasons for the mishaps here. The majority of accidents in the district occurred in areas located within a range of 2-3 km away from stations located in Old Faridabad, New Town (NIT) and Ballabhgarh, a National media agency reported.
Almost 60 per cent of the mishaps took place in the passage between New Town Railway Station and the Lakadpur railway crossing near Delhi border. Inadequate safety measures, including the open access to tracks, are reported to be causing accidents.
“Carelessness or negligence on part of the residents and commuters who don’t abide by the safety measures while crossing the track could be the main cause,” said a Railways official. “Use of headphones has also emerged as a reason contributing to negligence,” says Bhola Pandey, a commuter from Palwal.
With up to 15 per cent cases being attributed to suicides, many incidents could be related to other factors, including the dumping of bodies on tracks after murder.
“With around 200 trains passing through these stations daily, the residents of both urban and rural areas find it challenging and risky to cross the tracks as they dissect a large number of residential and commercial areas,” says Partosh Sharma, Faridabad Industries Association spokesperson.
He said that encroachment on public land near the tracks had resulted in illegal colonies, adding that it has contributed significantly to the rise in accidents.
Lack of warning boards, coach indicators, and last-minute announcement about change of platforms have resulted in chaos at these stations. The commuters continue to bear the brunt of the authorities’ indifference, says Varun Sheokand, a resident.
“While efforts are being made to create awareness regarding the dangers related to track crossing, the accidents mainly take place due to commuters’ negligence,” said Government Railway Police SHO Rajpal.
