Negligence claimed two lives on Thursday on Beach-Tambaram rail line that witnesses 15 casualties per month.
At around 9.30 am on Thursday, M. Vignesh, a second year B.Com student of Pachaiyappa’s College, hailing from Marakkanam near Tindivanam, was knocked down by an EMU while trespassing on a railway line between Nungambakkam and Chepet stations to reach college by a shortcut.
Not only did he avoid taking the foot overbridge, but he also used his cellphone while walking on the tracks, unmindful of an approaching train, said Egmore GRP (government railway police) inspector Saravanan.
Later in the evening, a 52-year-old unidentified man suffered a similar fate while he trespassed on a railway line near Saidapet.
Attributing both fatalities to trespassing and negligence, another GRP official said at least 15 deaths are witnessed per month on the Beach-Tambaram route. Moore Market Complex-Arakkonam route has recorded nearly 200 deaths since January 2012.
Complaining that people continue to ignore warnings despite repeated awareness drives conducted by GRP, RPF and railway department, police has appealed to the railway department to restrict entry to tracks.