Railway Board's Major Step: Division-Wise Action Plan Demanded from All Zones by 15th, Preparations to Remove Manned and Busy Level Crossings
Indian Railways has once again started taking strict measures to make train operations safer, uninterrupted, and faster. In this sequence, the Railway Board has directed all railway zones across the country to submit a detailed division-wise action plan by the 15th. This entire directive is primarily associated with eliminating Level Crossings (LCs) existing on railway networks nationwide, constructing Road Over Bridges (ROBs) or Road Under Bridges (RUBs) in their place, and solidifying safety standards. This stern stance by the board has created a flurry of activity within the railway department.
Why Was This Step Taken? (Background)
The Indian Railways network is one of the largest railway networks in the world, where thousands of mail, express, superfast, and freight trains run daily. Despite this, level crossings still exist on many routes today.
Risk of Accidents: The threat of road mishaps and train accidents always persists at level crossings due to negligence. Often, vehicles get stuck on the tracks, leading to major tragedies.
Obstruction to Train Speed: Due to the frequent opening and closing of busy level crossings, trains have to slow down or halt, resulting in delayed trains and financial losses for the railways.
Zero Accident Mission: The railway's goal is to systematically eliminate all level crossings from the network to completely rule out the scope of accidents.
What Will the Action Plan Include?
In this division-wise action plan demanded by the Railway Board, every division will have to prepare and submit a detailed report and future blueprint on the following points:
Current Status of Level Crossings: Complete data on the current number and traffic density of all A, B, C, and D category level crossings (LCs) falling under the respective division.
Proposal for ROBs and RUBs: The progress made so far in constructing road overbridges or underbridges where traffic pressure is high, and the blueprint for their construction in the coming months.
Substitute Road Network: Plans to completely close level crossings by creating alternative routes or roads parallel to the railway tracks.
Time-bound Execution: A clear timeline stating when each project will be completed.
Heightened Administrative Activity Across Railway Zones and Divisions
Following this order from the Railway Board, a series of meetings has begun in all zonal headquarters across the country (such as Central Railway, Northern Railway, East Central Railway, etc.). All zones have instructed the divisions under their jurisdiction to prepare a concrete and practical action plan before the prescribed deadline (the 15th) and submit it to the Railway Board. The board will thoroughly review this plan, following which budget allocation and construction work will be expedited
This step by the Railway Board could prove to be a very significant milestone in the direction of modernization and safety improvements of Indian Railways. If the removal of unmanned and busy level crossings is completed on time and replaced with the construction of RUBs or ROBs, it will not only drastically reduce train accidents but also increase train speeds, making passenger journeys much safer and smoother than before. All eyes are now fixed on the 15th to see what kind of action plan the various zones present before the board.
