Level Crossing Safety: Urgent Call for Rail Infrastructure Overhaul
A recent passenger train-school van collision in Tamil Nadu has reignited concerns over safety at level crossings. Experts urge the rapid replacement of manned crossings with road-over or under-bridges and interlocked systems to prevent human error. Indian Railways faces delays partly due to state-level bureaucratic challenges.
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A tragic collision between a passenger train and a school van in Tamil Nadu's Cuddalore district has sharply highlighted the perils of railway level crossings. The accident, which claimed three students' lives, underscores the urgent need to enhance safety measures at these crucial junctures.
Incidents like this have prompted experts to call for the Indian Railways to hasten the phase-out of manned crossings, suggesting the installation of road-over-bridge or road-under-bridge structures and interlocked systems instead. Despite eliminating unmanned level crossings by 2019, the pace of replacing manned crossings has lagged.
The Railway Ministry points to bureaucratic hurdles, including delayed approvals from state governments, as a significant reason for the delay in building safer alternatives. The necessity for resolving these administrative challenges grows with each accident, spotlighting an area desperately in need of improvement and investment.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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