Title - Railway claims campaigns are on against crossings

JAIPUR: In the past two years, a number of people were run over by trains in the densely populated colonies of the city. Though NWR authorities claim that they organize campaigns to spread awareness against trespassing railway tracks, so far nothing have come out of them.

According to the data available with the Jaipur police, nearly 35 people had lost their lives while passing through railway tracks in 2011. In majority of the cases, the carelessness of the victim was seen as the main reason, but neither the railways nor the local police is making any serious effort to curb such accidents. In this year, seven persons lost their lives till Wednesday.

Railway authorities claimed that they have identified vulnerable areas where these accidents frequently occur. They said they would organise a poster campaign against crossing the tracks. And this year, the run over cases have been brought down.

"We have identified some areas where the railway tracks are connecting one locality to another. The run over cases are rampant in these areas since people take tracks as a short cut to go towards another locality. Photographs of people crossing the tracks would be taken and a campaign would be held to make people aware of the dangers," said a senior officer with North Western Railway (NWR).

Attributing the increased number of run over cases to the completion of double line on Jaipur-Bandikui section, NWR authorities said that danger has increased after doubling of railway track which passes through at least 30 km in and around Jaipur.