RailEnquiry

Although campaigns to stop death on tracks have not yielded much result, finding a solution to the problem has not stopped. A World Bank team is in the city to assess the problem and work out solutions to stop crossing tracks.

An average of 12 persons die on the city tracks every day.

On Tuesday, NGOs and stakeholders discussed what could be done to solve the issue – the suggestions varied from roping in celebrities and film stars and launching a campaign to build escalators and lifts for senior citizens.

The stormy meeting ended with differences — some said it was successful while others said it was just a formality to get the funds sanctioned from stakeholders.

The Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) has requested the World Bank to utilise the surplus money from itsRs5300-crore Mumbai Urban Transport Project II on the project to build more bridges and take measures to prevent crosing tracks. But, the proposal has not yet been sanctioned and is lying in the department of economic affairs.

“The project will get the money once it is approved,” said Atul Agarwal, World Bank transport team task leader.

MRVC, in collaboration with JJ School of Architecture, conducted a study to highlight the need to minimise and prevent trespassing on tracks by building more bridges, elevators, barricades and reorganising built-up spaces.

“JJ students studied six stations each on Central Railway and Western Railway. The entire project will cost Rs120 crore,” said R Saksena, managing director of Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation.

Engineer Ketan Goradia, who is working on a solution to decongest suburban railways, said lots more has to be done than what was discussed. “The suggestions are in an unplanned manner and there was need to work out practical solutions, taking into account the crowd and capacity of stations and a proper bridge design,” he said.

A national committee, headed by nuclear scientist Dr Anil Kakodkar, had recently criticised the city’s railways for not taking measures to prevent deaths on tracks.

Subhash Gupta, member of the National Railway Users Consultative Committee, welcomed the recent development. “MRVC has a good record and they will implement the suggestions,” he said.