The Chennai division of the Southern Railway has started a vigorous awareness campaign to deter commuters of the suburban train services from trespassing on tracks. The drive is being undertaken to prevent accidents.
Personnel of the Railway Protection Force are organising the awareness campaign even as they apprehend those crossing the tracks. They conduct skits that encourage the use of foot overbridges and subways. In a press release, the Southern Railway said that apart from awareness campaigns, steps are being taken to remove encroachments on railway lands and construction of boundary walls at sensitive locations has begun along with replacing of level crossings with limited height subways. The Chennai division collected nearly ₹12 lakh by arresting a total of 2,422 persons for trespassing on railway tracks and have prosecuted 1,402 persons in 2021-22 (till January) under Section 147 of the Indian Railway Act. Around ₹5 lakh has been collected in fine.
