Kolkata Metro Railways Launches Awareness Campaign to Prevent Suicides on Tracks

Kolkata: In response to a recent suicide at Chandni Chowk station on January 6, which disrupted services on the Dakshineswar-New Garia corridor for over two hours, Metro Railway Kolkata has intensified its "anti-suicide" campaign. The measures aim to prevent similar incidents and ensure commuter safety.  

Key Measures Taken by Kolkata Metro

1. Posters and Banners:Colourful banners with messages like "Think Twice Before You End All" and "Your Family Members Are Waiting At Home"*have been placed strategically on trackside walls for visibility.Posters in English and Bengali are displayed at stations to serve as a deterrent.  

2. Public Announcements: Frequent announcements on platforms urge passengers to stay behind the yellow line and avoid going near platform edges.  

3. Enhanced Surveillance: Station master's rooms and the central control center monitor commuter movements through CCTV cameras. Alerts are sent to security personnel if suspicious behavior is detected.  

4. Counseling Support: Staff trained in counseling are stationed at various points to support commuters dealing with emotional distress.  

Implementation Hurdles and Limitations

- Installing glass barriers between tracks and platforms on the Blue Line is not feasible due to variations in rake lengths from different manufacturers and the older design of the corridor.
 
- However, newer corridors like the Orange, Green, and Purple Lines have integrated glass barriers into their designs.

The Metro official said they did not have any official figure about the number of suicidal bids on Metro tracks in recent times or in all these years.  

Metro authorities have emphasized their commitment to protecting passengers while acknowledging the difficulty of detecting individual distress among lakhs of daily commuters.