(a) whether it is a fact that almost 3,000 people lose their lives every year on the railway tracks in Mumbai suburban railway system;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) the action taken by the Railways for the safety of commuters; and
(d) the details of the progress made on infrastructure front in Mumbai suburban railway system to save the commuter lives?
MINISTER OF RAILWAYS AND COMMERCE & INDUSTRY
(SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)
(a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2844 BY SHRI MANOJ KOTAK TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 10.07.2019 REGARDING MUMBAI SUBURBAN RAILWAY SYSTEM
(a) and (b): No casualties have been reported in consequential train accidents during the years 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 over Mumbai suburban railway system. However, as per information received from Government Railway Police/Mumbai, during the years 2016, 2017 and 2018, total 3202, 3014 and 2981 people respectively, have lost their lives in Mumbai suburban Railway system due to various reasons such as suicide, murder, disposing of dead bodies on railway track, natural deaths due to illness, trespassing, falling from running trains etc.
(c) and (d): Railways have constituted an interdepartmental ‘Joint Committee’ comprising officers of Safety, Security, Signal & Engineering departments across all Zonal Railways to study the causes and suggest specific measures to minimise deaths due to untoward incidents including trespassing. Accordingly, preventive and corrective measures are taken to improve and create infrastructure to minimise casualties. The following measures including infrastructural measures in Mumbai suburban railway system are being taken by the Railways to save the lives of commuters:-
i. The central grab poles which are slippery are replaced by knurling type grab pole in Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) Phase I and II rakes for better grip in order to prevent incidents of falling of passengers from local trains.
ii. 13 fully air conditioned Electrical Multiple Unit (EMU) rakes comprising 156 AC coaches and 7 partially air conditioned EMU rakes comprising 42 AC coaches are to be inducted in Central Railway and Western Railway in addition to 01 fully air conditioned EMU rake working in Western Railway. Further, it is planned to induct 47 fully
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air conditioned EMU rakes comprising 564 AC coaches under MUTP-III and 191 fully air conditioned EMU rakes comprising 2292 AC coaches under MUTP-IIIA by Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation Ltd. All the fully air conditioned EMU rakes shall have the feature of automatic opening and closing of doors for safety of passengers.
iii. Passengers Protection Information System (Blue Light System) on doors of local train to alert passengers not to board when train is about to start, is under consideration of both CR & WR subject to outcome of trials currently underway.
iv. Railways has been constructing FOBs at places where passengers are required to cross tracks.
v. Erection of boundary wall/fencing at identified locations, vulnerable to trespass.
vi. Raising of the heights of platforms of Mumbai suburban railway stations.
vii. Regular announcements are made through Passenger Address System at Railway stations urging passengers to use foot over bridges (FOBs) and to avoid crossing of railway tracks.
viii. Various awareness campaigns are organized by Railways to sensitize passengers about the fatalities of crossing railway tracks, foot-board/ roof-top travelling, boarding/de-boarding running trains etc.
ix. Warning sign boards are provided at conspicuous places for the awareness of passengers.
x. Regular drives are conducted against trespassing, travelling on foot-board, steps, roof top of trains, boarding/de-boarding running trains and the persons apprehended are prosecuted under the relevant provisions of the Railways Act, 1989.
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