More than 700 people were run over by trains in Chennai last year.
What’s it about? Despite numerous awareness initiatives and penalties, there has been an increase in the number of people who were run over by trains. In 2021, there were 576 fatalities. This increased to 755 in 2022. The most recent incident was a college student who was run over by an express train near Tambaram.
- People continue to hop across tracks as trains approach stations on the suburban line. Most of the death occurred on the Beach-Tambaram-Chengalpet, Central/Beach-Tiruvallur-Arakkonam, and Central/Beach-Gummidipoondi lines.
- The 1989 Railways Act categorises anyone on the tracks as a trespasser. Authorities have found it tough to impose penalties since most of them are students and workers who can’t pay the fine.
Who said what? One railway official said commuters don’t use the foot overbridges or subways and cited fewer accidents at level crossings. Consumer activist T Sadagopan said the railway authorities should put up boards listing the deaths. Social activist V Santhanam said people find it easier to cross the tracks and reach the GST road as officials don’t take notice.