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Railway Ministry to build fence along tracks

Last Updated 14 January 2019, 08:55 IST

The Railway Ministry has planned to construct boundary walls or fences on both sides of railway tracks passing through inhabited urban areas to prevent accidents.

Following the recent tragedy near Amritsar, where over 50 people were killed when a speeding train hit the public standing on tracks to watch Dasara festival, the national transporter has decided to take up massive fencing or building boundary walls along tracks.

In 2019, the national transporter aims to build 3,300 km of walls at the cost of Rs 1,000 crore. Building fence or boundary walls will also help railways to run trains at a speed of Rs 160 kmph, said the official.

The Railway Ministry had asked its zonal offices to identify vulnerable routes, where walls may be erected immediately. The Ministry also decided to fence or build wall near railway stations to prevent public from reaching the platform by crossing the tracks, said the official.

Building a fence will also help the railways check trespassing as well as prevent encroachments of railway property, said the officials.

The railway officials said that several state governments have asked them to help build fences along railway tracks.

The Railway Safety Commission, which cleared Train-18 — which runs at a speed of 160 kmph — suggested the railways to build fences along tracks to prevent public and animals trespassing on the tracks. Unless the fences are built, the trains should be run at low speed, it said.

The Indian Railways is also expediting the installation of bio-toilets in coaches. While 9,548 bio-toilets were installed in 3, 647 coaches between 2004 and 2014, in the past four-and-half years over 1.5 lakh bio-toilets have been fitted with coaches.

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(Published 03 January 2019, 15:20 IST)

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