In 5 years, 33,445 killed crossing rail tracks: CAG

More than 18 people die daily while crossing suburban rail crossings with Mumbai overwhelmingly topping the list, a Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG) report on the country’s suburban train, has found. The report is expected to be tabled in Parliament on Tuesday.

The CAG has concluded that in a five-year period from January 2010 to December 2014, at least 33,445 people died on the country’s suburban rail network while trying to traverse the line crossings.

Of these, 17,638 deaths occurred in the busy Mumbai suburban section alone which make it more than 10 daily deaths. A total of 4,885 deaths occurred due to falling off running trains, of which 4,002, or an overwhelming 82 per cent, occurred in the Mumbai section.

While non-suburban rail comprises long-distance train services, suburban train services includes short-distance local trains that connect suburban centres to urban centres.

The suburban train sector carries more passengers than the non-suburban one. In 2011-12, the former ferried 4,377 million passengers to the latter’s 3,847 million passengers.

Pointing out at the tardy work for elimination of level crossings, the national auditor said that it “indicated that the Indian Railways lacked concern in minimising accidents at rail crossings”.

The Vision Document 2020 had set a target of elimination of level crossings which the Railways could not achieve, it said.