Over 27,000 Cattle Died On Railway Tracks Between April 2020 and March 2021

From March 2020 to April 2021, despite trains not running at their full capacity, 27,000 cattle deaths happened on the track between April 2020 and March 2021. The data, which was reported by Indian Express, also showed that between April 2019 and March 2020, over 38,000 cattle were run over by trains. Now that the trains are back at their full capacity, the number of cattle deaths are approaching 3,000 in a month.

The cattle deaths, aside from being a huge loss of animal life and a shock to their owners’ livelihoods, also cause train delays. According to data, cattle deaths have caused delays in 24,000 train trips. Most of the cattle accidents happen in Uttar Pradesh, where it has become a headache for the zonal railways. In a move to tackle this huge problem, authorities are identifying areas with accidents most commonly seen. These “vulnerable spots” include Etawah-Phaphund and Firozabd-Makhhanpur in Kanpur-Tundla sections, Pora-Jalesar near Hathras, Chanderi-Chakeri, near Kanpur; Delwara- Jhakhaura in Jhansi-Lalitpur section and others.

After the identification of these areas, the railway protection forces have urged the locals to stop their cattle from coming close to the railway tracks. “They are being told that when a case like this happens it is a loss of life and also when the train is forced to be delayed because of a cattle run-over case, the delay may be costly for someone,” North Central Railway spokesperson Shivam Sharma told The Indian Express.

Trains running over cattle is a problem that is neither new nor going to end soon. While Indian Railways have eliminated all the unmanned level crossings, a big factor in accidents leading to the loss of human life;8,700 people died on railway tracks in 2020. Trains running over humans and animals is a problem that is not easy to solve as fencing around railway tracks everywhere does not always seem feasible. The accidents pose a safety challenge causing damage to assets and delays in train trips.

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