New Delhi, Oct 2 (PTI) A railway probe — launched after three persons were mowed down by three trains within 30 minutes near Firozabad station in Uttar Pradesh on October 1 — has recommended fencing of railway tracks as people avoid using foot-over-bridge to cross railway lines.
According to the probe, between 7 pm and 7:35 pm, three persons were run over by New Delhi-Ranchi Garib Rath Express, New Delhi-Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express and Howrah Rajdhani Express around almost the same spot.
Two more persons were mowed down by trains on the same day at different points in time, railway officials said, adding the station area of Firozabad is quite prone to Man-Run-Over (MRO) cases as on an average 5-10 people fall victim to such incidents every month.
Looking into the reasons for such high cases of MROs, the three-member joint probe team found that the railway lines divide a densely populated area and glass factories.
“While the residential area is on the south side of the track, the factories exit on the north side. Also, the main market of the city is situated on the north side of the track,” the report said.
The probe team found that while there was no fencing on the north side, there were several openings in the boundary wall on the south side.
“After inspecting the site, we found that while the south side of the track is densely polluted, the north side has factories and markets.
“People don’t use Road-Over-Bridge/Road-Under-Bridge and cross the railway tracks illegally in a very careless manner due to which they are hit by moving trains,” the report concluded.
It recommended fencing on the north side and closure of all openings on the south side to minimise the cases of MRO.
Railway officials working in the station area said that it was the first time that five deaths occurred in one day.
“It is very unfortunate that people don’t use ROB to cross the lines and come under trains. In September, 11 persons were killed by moving trains. This number was 10 in March. Every month, 5 to 10 people lose their lives but still they are so careless,” a railway official said.
“We educate locals and make them aware of the dangers of crossing railway tracks but many of them don’t listen and risk their lives,” the official said. PTI JP RT
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