WR's RPF personnel dress up as 'Yamraj' to stop track-crossing

Western Railway has got RPF personnel to dress like Yamraj, the god of death and justice, and visit stations and adjoining areas to get people to desist from crossing tracks and risking their lives.

As part of the play-acting, 'Yamraj' carries the trespasser, railway lingo for track-crosser, on his shoulder over some distance symbolising the imminent danger one faces of being snatched away by death while taking a short-cut over the tracks, a railway official said.

The drive was found to be effective when first carried out at Andheri and Malad station after which it was extended to other stations, WR chief public relations officer Ravinder Bhakar said on Friday.

"Railway Protection Froce staff in the attire of Yamraj have been telling people not to cross tracks. We will cover several areas in the days to come," he said.

Mumbai suburban network, among the densest in the world with over 7 million daily passengers, sees 8-10 death track deaths every day.

Bhakar said 13,463 people have been prosecuted by WR under section 147 of the Railway Act for track-crossing till October 2109, which is 30 per cent more than the numbers in the corresponding period last year.

Bhakar said trespass deaths in WR's suburban section had reduced by 7 per cent and injuries by 30 per cent in the month of September, and put it down to better policing and awareness.