East Coast Railway plans measures to reduce deaths on tracks

BHUBANESWAR: The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has geared up to initiate measures to prevent untoward incidents and deaths on railway tracks at sensitive locations in its three divisions in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

Trespassing is the prime contributory factor to unusual incidents leading to deaths. Several deaths are being reported and many are getting injured after falling down from running trains and dashing with trains besides suicides and run over cases.

The zonal railway has identified 110 vulnerable places in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Jajpur-Keonjhar Road, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Titilagarh, Balangir, Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Marripalem areas.

​The stretches between Jagannathpur and Berhampur, Golanthara and Berhampur, Retang and Bhubaneswar, Mancheswar and Bhubaneswar, Jajpur-Keonjhar Yard and Mancheswar Yard in Khurda division, Visakhapatnam and Gopalapatanam, Vizianagaram and Korukonda, Dusi and Srikakulam, Simhachalam and Gopalapatnam in Waltair division and Deogaon Road and Sainthala, Sambalpur and Hirakud, and Balangir and Loisinga stations in Sambalpur division have also been identified.

A railway spokesperson said decision has been taken to install CCTV cameras, construct boundary walls, provide fencing and obstruct paths by placing unused concrete sleepers at the locations. “Wide trenches will also be constructed parallel to track to stop trespassing of animals, pedestrians and bikers. Barricade by rail sleeper and rail posts will be erected to prevent entry of two-wheelers,” he said. 

Unauthorised trespassing will be monitored through CCTV cameras at Nirakarpur Yard, between Tilaru and Urlam, Deogaon Road-Sainthala, and Balangir and Loisinga stations. Besides, limited height sub-ways will be constructed at some of the places for which consent has been received from the government.

Since falling down from train is the second main contributory factor to untoward incidents, the spokesperson said trains passing through ECoR jurisdiction will be manned by security personnel. The ECoR had recorded 2.8 pc decrease in deaths on track in 2019 as compared to 2018 and 40 pc decline in 2020 in comparison to its previous year.

Steps to be taken

110 vulnerable places in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Jajpur-Keonjhar Road, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Titilagarh, Balangir, Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Marripalem areas identified

CCTV cameras will be installed, boundary walls constructed, provision of fencing and obstruct paths will be done by placing unused concrete sleepers at the locations

Wide trenches will also be constructed parallel to track to stop trespassing of animals, pedestrians and bikers

Barricade by rail sleeper and rail posts will be erected to prevent entry of two-wheelers