Amritsar train tragedy: Railway police propose fencing of tracks in crowded areas

Updated Oct 23, 2018 | Times Now Digital

Fifty-nine people were mowed down by a train on October 19 when they were standing on the tracks to watch Dussehra celebrations near Amritsar.

Under Section 147 of the Railway Act, trespassing is a punishable offence, with a jail term of around six months with a fine. 

New Delhi: Barely a week after the tragic Amritsar train accident that took 59 lives, the Government Railway Police (GRP) on Tuesday made a proposal for fencing tracks along crowded areas to avoid such incidents, an official said, according to news agency PTI. The proposal was made during a meeting of the heads of GRP, a state police force responsible for maintaining law and order in the railways, from 21 states.

Fifty-nine people were mowed down by a train on October 19 when they were standing on the tracks to watch Dussehra celebrations near Amritsar.

“In view of the Amritsar incident, we have decided to write to the Railway Ministry to build fences along the tracks where the area is crowded. Areas, where there are chances of people spilling on to the tracks, have to be fenced,” the senior official, who attended the meeting, said.

In the last three years, nearly 50,000 people lost their lives after being hit by trains, according to official data. The railways takes no responsibility for these deaths and terms such people ‘trespassers’. Under Section 147 of the Railway Act, trespassing is a punishable offence, with a jail term of around six months with a fine.

This year, until September, 120,923 people were arrested and prosecuted by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) for intruding the railway system. A total fine of Rs 2.94 crore was imposed on them by courts during the period, according to data provided by the railways. Last year, 175,996 people were arrested and prosecuted by the RPF for trespassing the railway system and a fine of Rs 4.35 crore was imposed on them.

Last year, the railways was considering a proposal to build concrete walls along crowded tracks not just to stop trespassing, but also to keep the tracks clean. The plan is, however, yet to materialise, primarily because of lack of funds, sources said.