New crackdown on train stunts as railway cops’ soft approach fails.The Mumbai railway police will begin to register cases of attempted suicide against commuters performing stunts on trains and travelling atop carriages. “It was necessary for us to take strict action against such people who risk their life in such ways,” said railway police commissioner Ravinder Singhal.They [the stuntmen] need a tough lesson and so we have now started booking them for attempt to suicide. This way we hope to reduce such incidents and bring down the number of fatalities on city trains.” Thus far, such offenders were either castigated and let off with a warning or offered counselling.Two such cases were registered on Tuesday. The first was lodged against Danish Mohammad Naeem, a 22-year-old man from Shivajinagar in Govandi. Police said he was struck by a jolt of electricity at around 10.20am while travelling atop a Wadala-Andheri Harbour local near Bandra. He was booked under Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code. “After he recuperates and is discharged from hospital, we will make an application to court for placing him under arrest,” said a railway police official.The second case was registered against Sarfaraz Khan, also 22 years old - he was performing stunts on the section between Mankhurd and Kurla. In all, eight commuters performing dangerous stunts were apprehended on Tuesday. While two were charged with attempted suicide, the others were handed over to Railway Protection Force.In another incident on September 4 at 12:30pm, Mahesh Ashok Padial (25) was nabbed at Dadar by Kurla railway police and counselled for performing stunts. Senior cops from Kurla railway police were on rounds with women safety committee team when they noticed him and counselled him.Mumbai has one of the highest death rates associated with train travel in the country, with 10 to 12 commuters dying every day: mostly as a result of being run over or falling underneath moving locomotives.Till July this year, the CR has registered 1,591 cases under section 156 (roof-top travel) of the Railways Act.According to police records, Harbour Line of Central Railway (CR) is known to be the most notorious for such stunts; the stretch between Vashi and Wadala stations being especially infamous: offenders are usually aged between 12 and 30, and are often found on carriages adjoining the ones set aside for women.The Western Railway switched to 25 kilovolt Alternating Current in February 2012, following which rooftop travelling came down as those on the roof are struck by electric shock owing to the high voltage. This, along with awareness campaigns, led to a dip in cases of deaths on that line.However, half the portion of CR’s main line and the entire Harbour Line runs on 1,500 kilovolt Direct Current, which is not as deadly.The railways have been trying to create awareness by campaigns in schools, colleges and in passenger areas to bring down the number of cases.Subhash Gupta, former member of railway’s official commuters’ complaint redressal body welcomed the move. This will deter youngsters from committing such rash acts that puts their lives in danger. This was required to be done much earlier. Nevertheless, this will help cut down the figures of fatalities,” he said.