The Western Railway (WR) has got the Railway Protection Force personnel to dress like Yamraj, the god of death and justice, and visit stations and adjoining areas to get people to desist from crossing tracks and risking their lives.
The ‘Yamraj’ carries the trespasser, railway lingo for track-crosser, on his shoulder over some distance symbolising the imminent danger one faces while taking a short cut over the tracks, a railway official said.
The drive was found to be effective when first carried out at Andheri and Malad stations after which it was extended to other stations, WR chief public relations officer Ravinder Bhakar said on Friday.
“Railway Protection Force personnel in the attire of Yamraj have been telling people not to cross tracks. We will cover several areas in the days to come,” he said. The Mumbai suburban network, among the densest in the world with over 7 million daily passengers, sees eight to 10 deaths on the tracks every day.
Mr. Bhakar said 13,463 people have been prosecuted by the WR under Section 147 of the Railway Act for track-crossing till October, which is 30% more than the numbers in the corresponding period last year.
Mr. Bhakar said trespassing deaths in the WR’s suburban section had reduced by 7% and injuries by 30% in September, and put it down to better policing and awareness.
