Daily Deaths On Delhi Railway Tracks Average Over 6 Despite Strict Action: RPF Data

New Delhi: Carelessness in crossing railway tracks, along with some other factors, continues to result in loss of lives in the areas falling in the jurisdiction of Delhi Division of Northern Railways. Data available with the Railway Protection Force (RPF) shows that despite strict monitoring and legal action, an average of more than six people die daily, as the situation remains extremely worrying.

In 2024, 2,562 people had died while crossing the tracks or being hit by trains. This number dropped to 2,402 in 2025. The number of people injured also saw a decline from 666 to 582. Experts said that despite the decline, the severity of the problem does not diminish.

There are colonies on both sides of the railway track between Delhi's Anand Vihar and Sahibabad railway stations. On reaching there to assess the situation, the ETV Bharat team found that despite the highest number of trains running on this route, people were crossing the tracks as if they were walking on the road.

Despite the presence of an underpass near Sahibabad railway station, people were seen crossing the tracks, some of them with their bicycles and even gas cylinders. They did not respond when asked why they were doing so.

According to the data available, 2,210 cases were registered in 2024 against people for crossing railway tracks, and 2,206 persons were even arrested. Meanwhile, train accidents resulted in 2,562 deaths and 666 injuries. In 2025, 4,260 cases were registered, and 4,260 arrests were made. Train accidents resulted in 2,402 deaths and 582 injuries.

Officials say that the RPF data clearly shows that deaths have slightly decreased in 2025 due to increased vigilance and monitoring, while the number of injured individuals also dropped from 666 to 582. However, the daily average of more than six deaths indicates that the problem has not been eradicated.

Areas like Shahdara, Faridabad, Azadpur Sabzi Mandi, Adarsh ​​Nagar and the Ghaziabad-Sahibabad section have been identified as ‘death hotspots’ where shortcuts, illegal routes and a lack of safe transit are the main culprits.

The RPF officials claim to continue carrying out awareness campaigns, fencing and increasing enforcement. Yet many people are losing their lives every day. Observers say that this is not just a crisis of law enforcement, but also of people's risky habits.

RPF’s Divisional Security Commissioner Ashutosh Pandey said that regular patrolling in sensitive areas, awareness campaigns in schools and colonies, putting up posters, making announcements, fencing and construction of walls is being done at many places.

“Closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera surveillance has been increased. Legal action and fines are being imposed on those crossing the tracks. The people must understand that railway tracks are not roads. Trying to save a few minutes can prove fatal. We have increased strictness at all three levels of surveillance, awareness and legal action, but until people stop taking risks, it will be difficult to completely stop the accidents,” he said.

The main causes of accidents have been identified as crossing the tracks as a shortcut, trying to get on or off a moving train, illegal passages through the station premises, lack of a foot overbridge or underpass and ignoring warning signs.