Rise in mishaps in Thane railway zone: Statistics

THANE: The Thane railway zone has witnessed an increase in mishaps than any other zone on the Central Railway network. Statistics revealed compared to 2013, railway accidents in Thane zone have seen a jump of 55 in 2014 from January to June, overtaking the perennially accident prone zones of Kurla and Kalyan.
The half yearly data compiled by the railway police showed that Thane has recorded 354 mishaps in the first half of 2014 as compared to 299 during the same period last year.The Vashi zone that includes the Trans- Harbour section followed with a jump of 26 cases. Last year, the stretch saw 153 mishaps followed by 179 this year.
Interestingly, Kurla stretch that has seen the highest number of mishaps has registered a dip of 51 cases in the same stretch this year, including Kalyan that also saw a mere rise by four mishaps this year.
Activists and railway police said the commute was becoming dangerous for passengers, especially those travelling by suburban trains. “The stretches between Kalwa and Mumbra and on the Trans-Harbour line near Airoli have seen many accidents of late. While on the main line there are several instances of commuters falling off crowded trains during peak hours, on the Trans-Harbour line, majority of cases are of run over between Thane and Khairane,” said a railway police official. Police said falling in between gaps at platforms, from trains or natural death while travelling have also added to the increased numbers. The Railway police said line crossing is responsible for majority of mishaps, both fatal and injuring.
At Thane, the major spots that see accidents happening are the Kopri end and the one near station towards the Cidco bus stop access. Also, there are several people who walk on the tracks to and from Vitawa and station in addition to the stretch near Parsik tunnel. Some mishaps have also been reported near Kharegaon crossing along with the Diva level crossing.
An official said that they regularly make announcements about the perils of line crossing and have even penalized commuters indulging in dangerous travel and barricaded the tracks to deter line crossing but in vain.