2016 has been a successful year for the Coimbatore Railway Police in controlling railway accidents and suicides, thanks to their rigorous campaigning in areas close to railway tracks.

Per the Coimbatore Railway Police, deaths have declined by 20 per cent compared to the previous year.

A senior official from the Coimbatore Railway Police said that as many as 101 cases were booked in 2015 under IPC 174 (Death by accident or suicide), in which 74 were accidents and 14 were suicides. The rest (13) were natural deaths.

In 2016, the cases declined by 20 per cent with only 88 cases, including 70 accidents and 14 natural deaths. Suicides have also seen a massive decline by more than 70 per cent, with only four cases.

Attributing the decline in numbers to awareness and increase in Rail over Bridges (ROB), the official said, “Most level crossings have been converted to ROBs; Peelamedu ROB will be completed soon and another project is ongoing near SIHS Colony. If these are completed, accidents will further reduce. We have currently four level crossings.” He added that the construction of public toilets has also reduced accidents as some accidents happen while people eased themselves on railway tracks.

However, the official also stated that accidents largely occur in crowded areas between Peelamedu and North Coimbatore Junctions. “The locals living close to both sides of the tracks frequently cross the tracks resulting in accidents as trains usually come at a high speed,” he added.

To reduce such incidents, officials have been conducting campaigns each week close to the railway tracks and near railway crossings by distributing pamphlets.

While the accident cases have declined, the number of theft cases inside the railway junction has also declined from 48 in 2015 to 32 in 2016. “We are constantly asking the public to take good care of their valuables and not trust strangers; this has helped too. We have also caught a few culprits using CCTV cameras,” the official told the Covai Post.