Railways to take action against cattle owners if found affecting train services

The North Western Railway has decided to take action against cattle owners if found affecting train services, an official said Thursday.

The North Western Railway stands on second place in the country with 86 per cent punctuality in operation of mail and express trains across the divisions, but the recurrence of the incidents of trains hitting cattle and slowing down of the trains has affected punctuality, spokesperson (Jodhpur division) Gopal Sharma said.

"First of all, we will identify the spots of repeated occurrences of such accidents and an awareness drive will be carried out in those areas to educate the cattle herders and owners apprising them of the seriousness of the issue and its effect on the railways.

"And if they did not fall in line with our anticipation, the railways will take legal action against them," he said.

He said these incidents have worried the railways. It has dealt a severe blow not only to the punctuality of the trains but also to the safety and security of the trains as well as the passengers travelling in them.

According to Sharma, 607 such incidents were reported till August this year. Out of total, 250 were reported in Jaipur division, 142 incidents in Jodhpur division, 120 in Ajmer division and 95 incidents in Bikaner division.

"905 trains have been affected by these incidents, of which two have suffered derailment in the past three years," Sharma added.