Western Railway has taken several initiatives to curb the issue of trespassing and minimize the casualties due to it mainly on Mumbai’s suburban section.
Infrastructure upgrades to prevent trespassing
To ease passenger flow at stations and avoid trespassing, the initiative of 'Zero Death Mission' has been adopted. In this regard, 13 foot over bridges, 18 escalators, and 15 lifts have been commissioned, taking the total number to 146 foot over bridges, 104 escalators, and 49 lifts respectively. The platform heights have been raised, divider-fencing of sufficient height has been provided, and warning boards have been placed at the end of platforms and death-prone locations to caution the trespassers.
Awareness campaigns and initiatives to educate the public
Additionally, several public awareness campaigns have been conducted, such as appeals to commuters by roping-in celebrities, running campaigns in collaboration with NGOs, etc. Warning boards have also been placed in front of slums along the railway tracks to prevent people from crossing railway tracks. Drives for encroachment removal are regularly being carried out, and more than 1400 encroachments were removed from various locations during the period from 2022-23.
Strict enforcement and prosecution of trespassers
Moreover, Western Railway's RPF department has come up with a unique anti-trespassing campaign named “Mission YAMRAJ‟, where RPF/MSF staff dressed like “YAMRAJ” catch hold of trespassers and counsel them. Intensive awareness campaigns are also conducted in stations, schools, vulnerable locations, and in slums against crossing railway tracks. Regular drives against the menace of trespassing are being done, and the apprehended are prosecuted & penalized for trespassing.
Sumit Thakur, CPRO WR, said that all efforts are being taken by Western Railway to reduce the deaths and move towards “MISSION ZERO DEATH”. Western Railway urges its valued customers to care for their precious life and not to trespass railway tracks. Always use FOB, Subway, Escalators & Lifts to crossover and change platforms.
