Following the instances of suspected sabotage on the railway tracks, a high-level meeting was conducted by the Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) Satish Mathur earlier this month in which security agencies of various states were present to discuss the issue.

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In the meeting, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) had submitted a report stating that they have identified at least 87 vulnerable spots on Mumbai suburban railway lines that are witnessing trespassing incidents.

In the past few months there have been repeated instances of iron rods being kept on the railway tracks around Mumbai.

In the meeting, the RPF had submitted a report stating that there were 34 spots on the Western Railways between Churchgate to Dahisar, 35 on Central Railways between CST to Mulund and 18 on Harbour line between CST to Mankhurd that were vulnerable.

"The encroachments beside the tracks have lead to people crossing tracks and we have informed the administration of the Western Railway to conduct checks and build the walls to curb track crossing," said a senior RPF officer.

"We have posted our RPF personnel on the vulnerable spots to discourage track crossing. The boundary walls are damaged by the people living adjacent to the tracks. The patrolling between these stretches has been intensified after we received several complaints from the commuters that people are seen straying on the tracks. This leads to accidents and in-turn delays the train schedule," said AK Shukla, Divisional Security Commissioner, Western Region.

Ravindra Bhakad, Chief Public Relations Officer, Western Railways said, "We have cleared the encroachments on several places but people damage the boundary wall to enter the tracks and cross on the other side. It is a continuous process and when we receive the complaints we make sure that the boundary walls and barbed fencing is done to prohibit trespassing on tracks after floating the tender and the report which has been submitted by the RPF will be examined and necessary changes will be made."

Satish Mathur, State DGP, said, "The meeting was to discuss how to tackle crime at railway stations. Security agencies from different states were present and the information on criminals in their respective region was shared to tackle the crime. During such incidents we have to co-ordinate with different states and agencies to make travelling safe and secure for the commuters."

STRETCHES TO LOOK OUT FOR

Western Railway7/3-7/6 between Mahalaxmi- Parel12/10-12/12 betweenMatunga-Mahim22/12 between Andheri-Jogeshwari20/12B between Andheri- Vile Parle15/9/E between Bandra- Khar road

Central railway19/13/A between Ghatkopar- Vikhroli26/13 D between Bhandup-Nahur16/3 between Kurla-Vidyavihar15/1 between Sion-Kurla30/619 between Mulund-Thane

Harbour line10/7 between Wadala-GTB15/5 between Kurla-Tilak Nagar13/4 betweenTilak Nagar-Chembur20/5 between Govandi-Mankhurd7/15-16 between Sewri-Wadala