Nearly 50 people lost their lives on railway tracks crossing three districts in central Kerala in the first four months of the year, according to official figures highlighting gaps in safety measures and awareness.

As per the data, 48 people were killed on the stretch between Cherthala station in Alappuzha and Vallathol Nagar in Thrissur till April 28. The fatalities include both accidents and suicide cases, official sources said. A total of 242 deaths were reported from the same stretch in 2025.

Of the 48 deaths this year, 20 took place on tracks between Kalamassery and Irinjalakuda, while 17 occurred on lines connecting Irinjalakuda with Vallathol Nagar. Only two deaths happened on the stretch from Cherthala to Ernakulam Junction (South) and nine between Ernakulam South and Kalamassery.

The data shows that tracks between Kalamassery and Vallathol Nagar continue to account for higher number of fatalities, with the stretch witnessing 182 deaths last year.

Sources with railway enforcement agencies cited a large number of illegal pedestrian crossing points and a lack of safety awareness as reasons for the higher number of deaths reported from the stretch covering largely rural areas. Stretches crossing paddy fields end up being killing fields, with pedestrians finding no space to step out of the tracks even if they notice a train moving towards them, the sources said.

The repeated fatal accidents have prompted both the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Government Railway Police to enhance safety measures and awareness drives. Efforts, sources said, were on to bring down the number of fatalities by barricading illegal entry points. The entry points beneath both sides of the Ernakulam North overbridge and one under the South bridge have already been closed, while the RPF has identified several other vulnerable locations in the district.

“The most important precaution is to avoid walking over the tracks. Efforts are on to barricade illegal pedestrian entry points, besides conducting frequent awareness drives. At some points, we have even conducted demonstrations using life-size dummies to sensitise people about the risks in crossing or walking over the tracks. Awareness programmes are also conducted for local residents and schoolchildren in vulnerable areas by involving elected representatives,” Binoy Antony, Inspector, RPF, Ernakulam South, said.