A tragic incident occurred near Palghar railway station on Friday night when three individuals were hit by the Mumbai Central-Jaipur Superfast Express, train number 12955, while they were trespassing on the tracks. The accident took place at around 8:30 PM, resulting in the deaths of two people, while one was critically injured.
According to officials, the individuals were crossing the tracks illegally when they were struck by the speeding train. Authorities, including the Deputy Station Superintendent (Dy SS), Railway Protection Force (RPF), and Government Railway Police (GRP), arrived at the scene immediately after the incident.
A 108 ambulance was dispatched to provide medical assistance, and the injured person was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. The authorities emphasized that this was not an accident, but rather a case of trespassing, which is a serious violation of railway safety rules.
“The punishment for crossing a railway track is a fine of up to Rs 1,000 or imprisonment for up to six months, or both, as per Section 147 of the Railways Act, 1989,” said an official.
Western Railway officials have urged the public to refrain from trespassing on railway tracks, stressing the dangers it poses not only to those involved but also to the safety of railway passengers. They reiterated the importance of abiding by safety regulations to prevent such tragic incidents in the future.
Details of the incident:
The deceased have been identified as Sonuram (approx. 35 years) and Monukumar (19 years), while the injured person is Anup Pandit (20 years), who sustained hand injuries and is currently undergoing treatment at the rural hospital.
“A few meters ahead of Palghar Station (towards Surat), near Hanuman Chowk and the Mahavitaran office, the Jaipur Superfast train struck three people who were crossing the railway tracks. The incident resulted in the death of two individuals, and one person sustained hand injuries. The injured person is currently undergoing treatment at the rural hospital,” said Vivekananda Kadam, District Disaster Cell officer.
According to advocate Prathamesh Prabhutendolkar, a passenger activist and joint secretary of Dahanu Vaitarna Pravasi Sevabhavi Sanstha, the incident occurred on the north side of Palghar Station, where a pedestrian pathway connects the east and west sides. On the east side, there is a residential area and a PWD office, while on the west side, there is an MSRTC bus stand and a Mahavitaran office. The pathway is frequently used by local residents to connect the two sides. Unfortunately, this is not the first accident at this location, as there have been previous cases of pedestrians being hit by trains. Consequently, local residents have been demanding the construction of a foot over bridge at this location for the past few years.
