Even with a skeletal schedule, period between June 15, when locals started for essential staff, and September 30 saw an average of 1.5 deaths a day
Passengers wait on the platform at Kurla, on Monday. Pics/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
Since mid-June, soon after the trains restarted after months of COVID-19 lockdown, the Government Railway Police (GRP) recorded over 150 deaths on Central Railway and Western Railway. There were fewer deaths during the lockdown, but casualties shot up as soon as some trains were rolled back on tracks, even though only employees in the essential services were allowed to take the locals.
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OF the 151 deaths that took place between June 15 and September 30, 135 people died crossing the railway line and 16 died after falling from the moving train, according to the GRP data. Among those who died crossing the railway line were 126 men and nine women, while 14 men and two women died after falling from the train.
Passengers wait on a platform at Kurla, on Monday. Since June, 16 people died after falling off moving trains
On CR, Kalyan GRP recorded 93 deaths and Thane GRP recorded 84. On WR, 53 died in Vasai GRP jurisdiction. Most deaths took place in September, with 48 deaths, the GRP said. During the same period, another 42 people got injured — 28 got hit by locals while crossing the rail line and 14 died after falling off moving trains. A GRP official told mid-day, "We appeal to the public to not cross the railway line. Foot overbridges have been made at every station and they should always use them."
At present, Central Railway has 431 local rounds with 1.5 lakh commuters daily, and Western Railway has 506 local rounds with over 2 lakh passengers.
The number of deaths was high between January to March, and during the lockdown, it was negligible. This year, till now, 465 people have died crossing the rail line and 147 passengers fell from the locals and died, GRP data showed.
42
No. of injuries GRP recorded from June 15 to Sept 30
135
No. of people who died crossing tracks
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