SAFETY: Railways to eliminate unmanned crossings by 2017

Ferozepur, January 9, 2013: India has the world's fourth largest railway network after those of the United States, Russia and China. The railways carry over 30 million passengers and 2.8 million tons of freight daily. Indian Railways has 114,500 kilometers of total track over a route of 65,000 kilometers and 7,500 stations. It is the world's second largest commercial or utility employer, by number of employees, with more than 1.36 million employees in its organisation.

 As on April 1, 2010, there were 15,993 unmanned level crossings in India and the railway is planning to eliminate through manning of unmanned level crossing gates qualifying as per relaxed criteria, provision of Road Under Bridges (RUBs) and Limited Height Subways, merger of traffic to nearby LCs where feasible and closing of such unmanned level crossings, which have negligible road traffic.

About 60 per cent deaths at unmanned railway crossings and the railways plan to eliminate the entire unmanned crossings by 2017 and the project is being give a practical shape.  The Ferozepur Division of railway is having 416 unmanned crossings and in real sense; it has become challenging task for the railways. This was disclosed by Senior Divisional Safety Officer, N. K. Verma, Northern Railway Ferozepur Division.

He further said that there are about 416 unmanned crossings in Ferozepur rail division  Taking cognizance of the incidents on unmanned crossings, a decision was taken to construct 87 plan low height sub-ways under which the traffic can move safety without any obstruction and the places have also been identified. There is possibility of eliminating two or more nearby unmanned crossings, a single gate passage would be provided at about 92 places besides closing such 28 places where there is less movement of people.

Verma said, there is no problem of unmanned crossings between Jalandhar-Jammu Tavi-Udhampur route but during the current year, about 207 unmanned crossings are planned to be manned by the railway staff.  There is also a plan to close permanently 29 gates and changing the direction of 7 places of crossings.