Rising toll on Kerala’s railway tracks sparks safety alarm
Kerala is witnessing a concerning surge in deaths by suicide along railway tracks, particularly in recent years. In the Thiruvananthapuram division alone, which covers 1,031 km, fatalities rose from 22 cases in 2022 to 26 in 2023. By November 2024, the count had climbed to 30, as revealed by data acquired via an RTI request.
Tragic incidents include the deaths of a woman and her two young daughters at Ettumanoor, and a couple’s demise in Alappuzha. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) attributes this rise to the state’s overall high suicide statistics. Kerala logged 10,843 suicide cases in 2023.
A senior RPF officer remarked that although suicides on rail tracks form a small fraction of the total, the act itself demands extreme courage due to the nature of jumping before speeding trains.
Interestingly, bereaved families often approach the Railway Claims Tribunal seeking financial relief. Compensation up to ₹8 lakh per victim is possible.
Apart from suicides, accidental deaths and injuries also persist. Many result from hasty attempts to board or exit trains, though such mishaps remain relatively rare. In 2023, 103 passengers were hurt in 127 railway accidents, slightly reducing to 88 injuries from 117 mishaps in 2024.
Passenger welfare groups are voicing concern over inadequate safety protocols. They highlight absent horn signals, wider platform gaps, fewer general compartments, and overcrowding as major risks.
In response, rail authorities emphasize awareness campaigns and reinforce that horn usage when trains resume is obligatory.
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