THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: There has been an increase in death by suicide on railway tracks in the state over the last few years. In Thiruvananthapuram division, which extends 1,031 km, there were 22 deaths reported in 2022. This increased to 26 in 2023, and by the end of November 2024, it had reached 30, according to information obtained through an RTI application.
The most recent incidents involved the deaths of a woman and her two daughters in Ettumanoor and a couple in Alappuzha.
The Railway Protection Force (RPF) attributes the rise in numbers to the overall suicide rate in the state. "The number of suicides on rail tracks is on the rise. Still, this is only a small percentage of the total suicides. It takes an immense amount of courage to jump in front of a speeding train," a senior RPF officer said. In 2023, the state recorded 10,843 suicide deaths.
Interestingly, families of suicide victims often seek compensation through the Railway Claims Tribunal, which can offer up to `8 lakh per person, according to the RPF. The total fatalities on railway tracks include not only suicides but also accidents, including people slipping under trains while boarding or deboarding. However, these accidental deaths are rare.
"These accidents are usually caused by carelessness, when passengers rush to board or deboard at the last minute," the officer said. He pointed out that in many cases, fellow passengers promptly pull the emergency chain to stop the train, aiding victims.
In 2022, 81 people were left injured in 101 railway accidents. This rose to 103 in 127 accidents in 2023, before inching down to 88 from 117 accidents till the end of November in 2024.
Passenger advocacy groups have raised concerns about safety, particularly the lack of horn signals when trains depart stations. "The new coaches are quieter and passengers often don't notice when a train starts moving. The situation becomes even more dangerous when trains are overcrowded. The gap between the train and the platform at some stations also presents a serious risk," said Liyons J, secretary of the Friends on Rails WhatsApp group. He also highlighted the issue of a decline in the number of general compartments, which forces passengers to scamper to board trains.
The railways, however, maintains that it is mandatory for trains to sound the horn when resuming journeys after a halt. In response to safety concerns, the RPF conducts awareness programmes for the public, educating people on the dangers of careless travelling and trespassing on tracks. There are currently 329 passenger trains operating in the Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad divisions of Southern Railways.