Prayagraj: The Prayagraj Division of North Central Railway (NCR) has intensified its crackdown on railway track trespassing, resulting in the arrest of 973 individuals between Jan 1 and June 21, 2026.According to public relations officer of the Prayagraj division, Amit Kumar Singh, “As per the data released by the division, the highest number of arrests during the special campaign was recorded in March, when 259 persons were apprehended for trespassing. This was followed by 227 arrests in May, 164 in April, 131 in Jan, 109 in Feb and 83 in June (till June 21).”Among stations, Prayagraj Junction recorded the highest number of trespassing-related arrests at 124, followed by Kanpur Central (107) and Chunar (99). Other major stations where significant action was taken include Prayagraj Chheoki (70), Fatehpur (64), Naini (54), Kanpur Anwarganj (49), Phaphund (47), Aligarh (47) and Panki Dham (46). Arrests were also reported from Firozabad, Tundla, Manikpur, Mirzapur, Etawah, Subedarganj, Shikohabad, Dadri and Hathras.Railway officials said trespassing on railway tracks remains one of the major safety concerns across the network, as it not only puts lives at risk but also disrupts train movement and increases the possibility of accidents. The division has been conducting regular awareness and enforcement drives to discourage people from crossing tracks illegally, said Singh.According to railway authorities, crossing railway tracks without authorisation is a punishable offence under the Railway Act. Violators can be fined up to Rs 500, and failure to pay the penalty may invite further legal action, including imprisonment of up to three months, a fine of up to Rs 5,000, or both, as decided by a competent court.Appealing to passengers and the general public, the railway administration has urged people to use only designated safe routes, including foot overbridges and subways, while moving between platforms.
