Two trespassers killed on tracks in Nashik, railway denies train fall reports

Two people were killed and one injured after trespassing on railway tracks in Nashik district the Central Railway clarified on Monday dismissing reports that passengers had fallen from the Karmabhoomi ExpressAccording to the news agency PTI the incident occurred on Saturday night between Nashik and Odha stations and involved individuals who were not passengers on the train according to Central Railways Chief Public Relations Officer Swapnil Nila Contrary to circulating media reports and social media claims no one fell from the Karmabhoomi Express which was travelling from Mumbai to Raxaul BiharldquoThis is false No passenger fell from the train It was a clear case of trespassingrdquo Nila said urging the public not to spread misinformationAs per PTI the injured individuals were immediately taken to a hospital where two were declared dead The third Jimal Shyamji later regained consciousness and told officials they were labourers from Malegaon who had visited Shirdi After consuming alcohol in Nashik they attempted to cross the tracks when two trains approached from opposite directions resulting in the accidentRailway officials confirmed that the victims were originally from Dahod Gujarat and worked as construction labourers in Malegaon The Railway Protection Force RPF has launched an investigationAs per PTI authorities have used social media platforms to urge the public to factcheck information before sharing and avoid spreading false narratives The Press Information Bureau PIB through its Fact Check handle also confirmed that reports of passengers falling from the train were ldquofakerdquo reiterating that the incident involved trespassers not train travelersRailway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw after reviewing crowd management at Anand Vihar railway station in Delhi stated that strict action is being taken against individuals who circulate fake videos and misinformation targeting Indian RailwaysNFR to install acousticbased tech across its railway network to protect elephantsThe Northeast Frontier Railway NFR has decided to roll out highend acousticbased technology across its network by April next year to help prevent the deaths of elephants caused by speeding trains a senior official saidNFR Chief Public Relations Officer Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said trial runs of the Intrusion Detection System IDS have been successfully commissioned in four key sectionsThe IDS uses advanced optical fibre sensing technology to detect elephant movement near railway tracks generating realtime alerts for train drivers and control rooms to take timely preventive actionWe have undertaken a major initiative to ensure the safety of elephants and smooth train operations by implementing the IDS across the NFR network Sharma said in a statement on Sunday nightThis innovative system aims to protect wildlife while maintaining operational efficiency especially in areas where railway lines pass through forested regions and elephant habitats the CPRO addedWhen elephants come close to the tracks the vibration of their movement is detected by the cables and the system sends acoustic signals to the control roomThe NFR first installed IDS at two locations in the Lumding and Alipurduar divisions in 2022The target date for completion of this expanded project has been set for April 2026 by which time the system is expected to be fully functional across all identified elephant corridors Sharma saidThe IDS trials have been successfully commissioned in four important sections of the NFRMadarihatndashNagrakata under the Alipurduar divisionHabaipurndashLamsakhangndashPatharkholandashLumding under the Lumding divisionKamakhyandashAzarandashMirza under the Rangiya division andTitabarndashMarianindashNakachari under the Tinsukia divisionTogether these pilot installations cover a total of 6403 km of elephant corridors and 141 km of block sections marking a significant milestone in the railwayrsquos commitment to wildlife protection and safe train movement the CPRO saidThe successful commissioning of these trial sections has paved the way for the next phase of IDS implementation across the remaining 1464 km of identified elephant corridors in the NFR he addedThrough this initiative the NFR reaffirms its commitment to sustainable development environmental stewardship and passenger safety By integrating technology with conservation NFR is setting a national benchmark for responsible railway operations in biodiversityrich regions Sharma saidWith PTI inputs