When railway tracks become death traps for commuters 

Highest number of casualties reported from Subzi Mandi railway station

Mohammad Kaushar, 40, a labourer at Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar, was killed by a speeding train when he was crossing the railway tracks near Badli village underpass in Outer Delhi on November 22 last year. 

His body was found mutilated, along with his crushed mobile phone on the tracks. He is survived by his wife, who works as a domestic help and four children, including two daughters. 

Like Kaushar, there are many people, including schoolchildren, office goers and slum dwellers, who trespass on railway tracks and meet with fatal accidents.   

According to Delhi Police, 2,692 persons have died after being hit by speeding trains from 2018 till March 9 this year. Of them, 2,415 were men and 277 were women. 

The data reveals that of the total deaths reported, 1,632 male bodies and 232 female bodies were identified since 2018. Among the unidentified bodies, 783 were of men and 45 of women.   

The police said the maximum number of casualties involved office-goers and in some instances, schoolchildren, who frequently cross the railway tracks while commuting.   

“Many slums and resettlement colonies are located near railway tracks and a majority of the residents prefer walking to their place of work on railway tracks. Busy talking on their phones, they are often unmindful of the approaching train and get run over,” an officer told  The Hindu.