'More than 8,000 killed on rail track till June 2012'

NEW DELHI: Despite concerted efforts by Indian Railways to prevent accident on rail track, the number of persons killed due to trespassing is on the rise.

While 12,894 people were killed on track and level crossings due to trespassing in 2010, the next year witnessed the toll going up to 14,611, according to a Railway data.

There were total 8,412 people killed on the track till June 2012, as per the data.

Thirty-seven people were killed in Bihar today while crossing the track at Dhamra Ghat station.

"The awareness campaign to educate road users for negotiating level crossing is a constant exercise," said a senior Railway Ministry official.

While Maharashtra has maximum number deaths (1356) due to trespassing followed by West Bengal (1049) in 2012, there were 228 deaths in Bihar.

In Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, the casualty figures are as high as 996 and 819 respectively in 2012.

However, there is a decline in the number of deaths in train accident in the recent past. While 45 were killed in such mishaps during April-August 2012, the casualty came down to 42 for the same period this year.

Maximum number of accidents takes place near level crossings. Railways have 31,254 level crossings across the country out of which 12,582 are unmanned.

"We have drawn out an action plan to eliminate all unmanned level crossings in a phase manner," said the official.

Steps are being taken in coordination with the state governments to eliminate 9,808 unmanned level crossings in the 12th Five-Year Plan, he said.