Kolkata: Railway Protection Force of Eastern Railway conducted an awareness programme on Friday on measures to ensure safety and prevent accidents at unmanned level crossings. "The awareness campaign has elicited appreciation from the passengers. Railway Protection Force of Eastern Railway conducted an awareness campaign on precautions to be taken to prevent rail accident for passengers. The campaign was held at Dum Dum station," said an official of Eastern Railway. While the official figures revealed that the railways has maintained the best safety record in the 2017-2018 fiscal in over five decades, 36 people reportedly died while crossing train lines in the state in 2019. This apart, nearly 50,000 people have lost their lives between 2015 and 2017 on railway tracks after being hit by trains. The official pointed out that Railway Protection Force of Eastern Railway has also conducted an awareness campaign titled Operation Saathi in the vulnerable and residential area alongside the railway track between Gumani and Kotalpukur stations over Eastern Railways Howrah Division against pelting of stones on running trains recently. Passengers were convinced that pelting of stones on running trains may invite death or severe injury to the passengers in trains and is also a punishable offence. "The awareness campaign was organised at Milat High school, Srikund, near Gumani railway station. The elders were asked to spread the message among the children of the locality, to refrain from pelting stones on running trains," the official pointed out. Deaths on railway tracks occur due to trespassing, violating safety and cautionary instructions, avoiding over-bridges, using mobile phones and other electronic gadgets, when crossing railway tracks.

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