'Lodge FIR against reel creators if they pose threat to safe rail operations or cause inconvenience to passengers'

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The Railway Board has instructed all its zones to file first information reports (FIRs) against individuals creating reels that pose a threat to the safety of rail operations or cause inconvenience to passengers on coaches or railway premises, news agency PTI reported.

This directive follows a number of recent incidents where individuals, mostly young people, have endangered rail safety by filming stunt videos on railway and in moving trains using mobile phones.

"People have crossed all limits for making reels. They not only risk their own lives but also jeopardise the safety of hundreds of rail passengers by placing objects on the tracks, running vehicles on the tracks, or performing life-threatening stunts on moving trains," said a senior Railway Board official.

"Viral videos have shown people getting killed by approaching trains while taking selfies because they went too close to the track without realising how quickly a train can cover ground. Many have died on the spot after being hit by a train," he added.

According to PTI, the Railway Board officials stated that both the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Government Railway Police (GRP) have been instructed to adopt a "zero tolerance" policy towards those creating reels that violate safety norms.

In a recent case, the RPF registered an FIR against a man who attempted to film a stunt by driving an unauthorised Mahindra Thar SUV on the railway tracks between Kanakpura and Dhanakya stations in the Jaipur division.

According to railway officials, the loco pilot of an approaching goods train showed great alertness, stopping the train at a safe distance after spotting the SUV stuck on the tracks. It is believed the man was attempting the stunt to create a reel for a social media post, PTI reported.

In another recent incident, the railway police filed an FIR against 10 students from a city college for travelling dangerously on the footboard of a train, which caused a chaotic situation at Vyasarpadi Jeeva railway station in Chennai.

After a video surfaced showing the students raising slogans at the station, with one attempting to climb on top of the train, the police initiated an investigation and registered a case.

"Several such incidents have come to light through viral videos, prompting the Railway Board to take stern action," the official said.

(With PTI inputs)