Decrease in cattle collisions reported as fences come up on Mumbai-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat route

Ever since the introduction of semi high speed Vande Bharat trains in India, there has been a significant surge in the number of cases involving trains colliding with cattle along various Vande Bharat routes across the country. Owing to this concerning issue, Indian Railways initiated fencing work on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Route in November of the previous year.

Now, the metal beam fencing has been successfully completed along 150 route kilometres (RKM) in the Mumbai Central division, 175 RKM in the Vadodara division, and 31 RKM in the Ahmedabad division of the Vande Bharat route.

Reportedly, an overall progress of 57% has been done on the fencing project. The swift installation of these fences along various sections of the route has been facilitated by the adoption of an innovative prefabricated design for track fences.

The newly adopted design features two W-beams, which offer enhanced strength compared to the conventional counterparts. As a result, the installation process was streamlined, leading to the efficient and robust progress on the project. Furthermore, the work is expected to be completed by November this year.

The collision of cattle not only inflicts harm upon farmers and herdsmen but also poses accidental hazards for trains, resulting in substantial damage and financial losses.

As per the Railways' data, the cattle fatalities have reduced to zero along the sections of the route, where 100% of the fencing has been completed.

In addition to the Western Railway, the North Central Railway based in Prayagraj has received instructions to implement fencing measures along its Vande Bharat routes. The railway zone has identified specific locations prone to cattle-related incidents, including Kitham-Farah, Agra-Bhandei, and Vrindavan-Bhuteshwar-Ajhai. Immediate attention is being given to addressing the fencing requirements in these areas.