East Coast Railway urges people not to walk on railway tracks

In the wake of migrant workers sleeping on railway lines being crushed to death by a goods train in Maharashtra, East Coast Railway (ECoR) has asked people to refrain from walking on the tracks as several special trains are running during the lockdown.

Although passenger trains have been suspended due to COVID-19 outbreak, goods trains and parcel express trains are continuously running on all the railway tracks to maintain supply of essential commodities across the country, a railway official said.

Recently Shramik Special trains have also been started and many such trains are running in ECoR jurisdiction also, he said. "Therefore, walking on the tracks or on railway lines is extremely dangerous and strictly prohibited," he said, adding that ECoR is doing awareness campaign through every medium to educate people not to walk or pass train tracks, instead they should use limited height subways and manned level crossings only.

Trackmen, bridge repair staff, station masters, overhead electric repairs staff, RPF staff and other railwaymen have been alerted to prevent and report if any such trespassing is observed. Despite awareness programmes, it is seen that many a time, people put their lives at risk and cross the lines. This practice is prohibited and also punishable under Section 147 of the Railways Act, an ECoR statement said.

As per rule, nobody should cross or walk along the track in unauthorized manner and trespassers will be prosecuted as per the law, it said. However, railways does not want to be seen as prosecuting people in such crisis situations. It is also important that people are properly counselled to avoid coming near the train tracks in the interest of their personal safety, it said.

Sixteen migrant workers sleeping on the rail tracks were crushed to death by a goods train in Maharashtra's Aurangabad district on Friday morning. A group of 20 migrant workers walking on railway tracks had a narrow escape on Friday when an inspection van stopped in front of them on a river bridge in West Bengals Birbhum district. The migrants were returning to Jharkhand from West Bengal's Birbhum district.