Title - Students get train safety tips

ALLAHABAD: The North Central Railway has undertaken an awareness drive in schools to inform students measures for safe journey on trains. They are also being made aware of precautions to be taken while crossing railway crossings.A mobile video van is being taken to various schools and colleges, both in urban and rural areas of the district. The student community has already latched up to the idea of learning about various facets of the railways.Public relations officer of NCR Amit Malviya said "About 30,000 children have already been covered in the ongoing awareness drive. More children would be offered tips for safe journey in trains and crossing railway crossings. The awareness drive has already been conducted in about 45 schools and more schools will be covered in the coming days."The mobile video van is equipped with high definition LED television to deliver the message to students in most effective manner. The students are shown films through a projector. After the film is over, the staff travelling in the van answer students' query and satisfy their curiosity.So far, the awareness drive has been conducted in UP Higher Secondary School in Jhunsi, Agarsen Inter College, CAV Inter College, GIC Inter College, SP Memorial Vidya Niketan and others. The staff accompanying the mobile van also informs the students about the precautions to be adopted while moving through an unmanned crossing.

The students are being made aware of Zehar Khurans in trains, where in gullible passengers are duped by members of drug and rob gangs. They sweet talk passengers into accepting their eatables laced with intoxicating substances. When the victim becomes unconscious, and gang members escape with their luggage and money.

During awareness programme, railway staff counsels students and asks them to remain alert about the activities of strangers in trains and advice them against accepting edibles from any co-passenger.

Rupali Singh, who attended one of the awareness drive said "we did not know about the Zehar Khurans who steal passengers' luggage. From now on, I will remain alert in trains and also educate my friends in the colony about their activities."

The railway staff accompanying the mobile van is also counselling students about provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act and the Railway Act by distributing posters, pamphlets and handbills.

The North Central Railway region comprises of Allahabad division, Agra division and Jhansi division and has around 1,512 level crossings. Among them, 1,028 are manned crossings and 453 are unmanned. There are five cattle crossings and 26 canal crossings. Out of the total crossings in NCR region, there are 395 level crossings in Allahabad division, 313 level crossings in Jhansi division and the remaining in Agra division.