14 June,2026 11:05 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Under Operation Jeevan Raksha, RPF personnel have been rescuing passengers who endanger themselves while boarding or alighting moving trains. Representational pic
Central Railway's Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel saved the lives of two passengers in separate incidents at Maharashtra's Nashik Road and Wardha stations under "Operation Jeevan Raksha".
Under Operation Jeevan Raksha, RPF personnel have been rescuing passengers who endanger themselves while boarding or alighting moving trains.
On May 12, Constable Gautam Birhade of RPF Post Nashik Road, while on duty from 4 pm to midnight, rescued a passenger who fell into a dangerous gap while attempting to board a moving train.
The passenger, who had briefly detrained from Train No 01027 Dadar-Gorakhpur Special to purchase items, panicked as the train began departing and tried to re-board it. During the attempt, he lost balance and slipped, placing his life in imminent danger.
Constable Birhade immediately rushed to the spot, rescued the passenger from the gap, and signalled the train guard to stop the train. The passenger was subsequently re-boarded safely.
In another incident on May 31, Woman Head Constable Kalpana Jadhav of RPF Post Wardha, while on platform duty from 8 am to 8 pm, saved a pregnant passenger from a potentially fatal accident.
Around 12.20 pm, after the departure of Train No 12655 Navjeevan Express from Platform No 1, she noticed the passenger attempting to board a moving coach. The passenger lost balance during the attempt and came dangerously close to the gap.
Displaying prompt presence of mind, Constable Jadhav immediately rushed forward and pulled the passenger away from the moving train, preventing a serious accident.
Central Railway has appealed to passengers not to board or alight from moving trains, stating that such actions can prove fatal. In case of emergencies, passengers can contact the Railway Helpline 139 or seek assistance from RPF, Government Railway Police (GRP), or on-duty railway staff.
The Solapur Division of Central Railway observed International Level Crossing Awareness Day (ILCAD) 2026 on June 9 with a wide-ranging safety awareness campaign across several railway sections, including Solapur-Wadi, Solapur-Daund, Kurduvadi-Latur and Kurduvadi-Miraj, an official statement said.
The initiative aimed to educate road users, railway employees and local communities about safe behaviour at level crossings and the importance of preventing railway accidents.
As part of the campaign, railway officials counselled 5,217 road users on safety practices while crossing railway tracks. In addition, 201 gatemen and railway staff members received guidance on operational safety and vigilance.
The division also inspected 26 level crossing gates to assess safety standards and identify areas that may require improvements.
