177 deaths during the last three years

Kozhikode,Feb 27 (PTI) The Palakkad Division of SouthernRailway recorded 465 accidents in which 177 people have losttheir lives and 288 injured during the last three years from2008-10, a top official of the Palakkad division said today.

S K Raina, Divisonal Railway Manager, Palakkad, said mostof the deaths occurred due to trespassing the railway track,falling while the train was on the move, alighting while thetrain was on the move and travelling on the footboard.

A highly sophisticated Integrated Security System willbe installed at Kozhikode and Mangalore railway stations at acost of Rs 3.50 crore.

It will have automatic vehicle scanning system, Vehiclechecking trolley mirrors, x-ray baggage-cum luggage scanners,x-ray parcel scanners, passengers personal scanning system,CCTVs, Bomb Detector, Bomb Detection and disposableequipment.

He said the Railway Protection Force was supplementing theState Government works on the security aspects.

During last year about 10000 petty cases such asunauthorised vending and smoking had been registered and Rs 20lakh recovered as fine, he said.

The track doubling work between Shornur and Mangalore wasin the final stages of completion, he said, adding, the guageupgradation work between Palakkad and Pollachi was likely tobe completed by 2012.