Foot-board travel has claimed 64 lives in 18 months in Madurai railway division

A total of 64 persons involved in foot-board travelling have died in the last 18 months after falling down from running trains in Madurai division.

A railway statement said that in June 2024 alone, 14 cases of accidental falls were reported in the division and eight of them were killed and six injured in those incidents. In the first six months of 2024, 39 cases were reported, resulting in 23 deaths and 17 injuries.

The statistics revealed that most of those incidents had occurred during the nights, especially in the wee hours.

The highest number of incidents — 66 cases, were registered between Virudhunagar and Vanchimaniyachchi railway stations. The Madurai-Dindigul section reported 44 incidents, while the Virudhunagar-Sengottai section had 43 incidents.

Most passengers involved in these incidents are under 25 years of age and 87.02% of those involved are male, and only 12.98% are female.

Railway Protection Force personnel are conducting frequent raids to prevent foot-board travel. In 2023, the RPF registered 22 cases and collected ₹ 10,100 in penalties. Up to June 2024, 50 cases have been booked, and ₹ 11,000 has been collected in penalties.

The RPF takes action against those traveling on foot boards, obstructing passengers by standing on doorsteps, taking selfies, or recording videos from the foot steps of coaches. RPF escort teams travelling on trains ensure the closure of coach doors, the statement said.

Reporting Incidents

In case of an accidental fall, co-passengers can report the incident to Rail Madad app with details about the train, time, and location. The location can be traced using distance markers on railway electrical masts. Sharing these location details would help in the timely rescue of passengers in distress.