Forty-eight people died on railway tracks between Cherthala in Alappuzha and Vallathol Nagar in Thrissur districts by April 28, 2026, according to official data, highlighting persistent safety risks across the central Kerala rail corridor. The fatalities, recorded over the first four months of the year, include both accidents and suicides, with the majority occurring in rural stretches lacking safe pedestrian access.

Of the 48 deaths, 20 occurred between Kalamassery and Irinjalakuda, and 17 between Irinjalakuda and Vallathol Nagar, making the Kalamassery–Vallathol Nagar stretch the most dangerous, as it accounted for 182 of the 242 total deaths in 2025. Only two fatalities were reported between Cherthala and Ernakulam Junction (South), while nine occurred between Ernakulam South and Kalamassery.

Railway authorities cited widespread illegal pedestrian crossings and poor safety awareness as leading causes, particularly in rural areas where tracks cut through paddy fields and offer no room for escape. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police have initiated measures including barricading unauthorized access points, such as those beneath the Ernakulam North and South overbridges, and conducting awareness campaigns using life-size dummies and school outreach programs.

"Efforts are on to barricade illegal entry points and conduct frequent awareness drives," said Binoy Antony, Inspector, RPF, Ernakulam South. The RPF has identified additional vulnerable spots for intervention.

Authorities will continue expanding physical barriers and community education programs in high-risk zones, with ongoing assessments to determine the effectiveness of current safety interventions.