Civil society, NGOs to be asked to help guard rail crossings

Civil society, NGOs, socio- political organisations will be asked to provide volunteers to guard more than 11,000 unmanned railway crossings across the country to minimise death on tracks, Lok Sabha was told on Monday.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said during Question Hour that a decision has been taken to publish advertisements inviting civil society, NGOs, socio-political organisations to provide volunteers to guard the unmanned railway crossings.

Prabhu said 18,735 people have lost their lives in railway accidents this year till October of which 5,000 alone in areas falling under the Northern Railway zone. He said a number of steps are being taken by the Railways to minimise the death on tracks and a meeting of chiefs of state police forces will be convened soon to seek their help.

"We will also see whether home guards can be deployed in unmanned railway crossings," he said. Prabhu said due to financial constrains, the Railways has not been able to guard each and every level crossing and efforts were on to gather resources for the purpose.

Steps taken to prevent run over cases and death on railway tracks include construction of boundary wall, fencing at identified locations vulnerable to trespass, putting up of large hoarding in sensitive crossings, regular announcements through public address system at railway stations urging passengers to use over bridges and avoid crossing of railway tracks.