Track Worker Fatalities Highlight Urgency for 'Rakshak' Deployment

A tragic incident involving the death of a track maintainer has highlighted the urgent need for safety devices like 'Rakshak'. The All India Railway Track Maintainers Union has demanded increased workforce and Rakshak devices to prevent further fatalities. Recent accidents underline critical safety concerns in railway track work.

In a tragic incident in Maldah division, a track maintainer lost his life while attempting to evade an oncoming train, only to be struck by another train. This has brought attention to the safety concerns faced by railway track workers, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

Bariul Rahman, a railway employee since 2012, was not authorized for track inspection work but was sent for duty in place of an authorized worker on leave. His untimely death has raised questions about worker safety and the need for proper workforce allocation.

The All India Railway Track Maintainers Union (AIRTU) is pushing for the distribution of Rakshak devices, a GPS-based safety alert system, to all trackmen. This device could potentially save lives by alerting workers of approaching trains. Despite successful pilot tests, its widespread implementation has been delayed.

(With inputs from agencies.)