Title - State joins global effort for safe level crossings

A road map is being drawn to eliminate all level crossings in the country within five years.Reducing accidents and fatalities, raising awareness among road users and pedestrians of the risks at level crossings, and changing their behaviour is the focus of the International Level Crossing Awareness Day (ILCAD) that is observed on June 7.It is a joint commitment that builds upon the success of the first European Level Crossing Awareness Day held in 2009.More than 40 countries across the world, including India from Asia, have joined hands to observe the ILCAD.Indian Railways are participating in the campaign, initiated by the International Union of Railways and which has the motto ‘Act safely at level crossing.'In India, level crossing fatalities account for less than one per cent of the road fatalities, but three-fourth of all rail fatalities. At present, there are 35,363 level crossings in the railway network of the country. Of these, 17,954 level crossings are unmanned.The High Level Safety Review Committee headed by Anil Kakodkar, former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, which submitted its report to the Union government this year has recommended elimination of manned and unmanned level crossings within five years.Such a step will, it said, “not only eliminate the accidents at LC which account for 65 per cent of total deaths due to train accidents but will also improve the line capacity as trains get held up at busy LC gates. It will also save operation and maintenance costs incurred in the gates.”Analysis of data for the last five years shows that derailments accounted for nearly half the total accidents, followed by accidents at unmanned level crossings (36 per cent) on the 64,000 route km of railway network. Level crossing accidents contributed to 59 per cent of the deaths, the report said.In Thiruvananthapuram railway division, there are 189 interlocked and 124 non-interlocked level crossings (manned 313), compared to the 155 and 22 (manned 177), respectively, in Palakkad division. There are 85 unmanned level crossings in Thiruvananthapuram division, while there are no unmanned level crossings in Palakkad division.Of the 106 level crossings on the 100 route km from Ernakulam to Kayamkulam junction via Alappuzha, 26 are unmanned. On the 20 route km stretch from Chengannur to Kayamkulam junction, seven of the 17 level crossings are yet to be manned. On the 88 route km stretch from Kanyakumari to Tirunelveli, 29 of the 60 level crossings are unmanned.Divisional Railway Manager Rajesh Agrawal told The Hindu that efforts were on to man all the unmanned level crossings this year, though the target fixed by Railways was 2015. The division had prepared a database of the level crossings and had stepped up work to phase out the unmanned ones.

Accidents
Four accidents occurred at unmanned level crossings in 2007-08, two accidents in 2008-09, four in 2009-10, and five in 2010-11 in the Thiruvananthapuram division.Accidents at level crossings occur primarily owing to inadequate precautions by road users and their failure to observe mandatory signages, signals, and basic traffic safety rules, say officials in the safety wing of Railways.An analysis of the accidents at unmanned level crossings has found that the main causes are driving vehicles with blaring music and using dark glasses on windows, which prevents clear vision. Scant respect is given to signages near unmanned level crossings and speed breakers are negotiated at full speed.Ensuring the availability of speed breakers, whistle boards, road signs, and stop boards as per the provisions laid down in the Indian Railway Permanent Way Manual has been taken up to ensure people's safety.Gatekeepers often encounter impatient road users at the crossings. There is resistance from the public to constructing parallel roads and land acquisition. To enhance the safety of and reduce inconvenience to road users, busy level crossings are being replaced by road overbridges, road under bridges, and limited height subways by Railways.Under the Plan of Action 2012-13, proposals have been worked out for constructing 64 rail overbridges and close 23 level crossings in places where a large number of them exist in close proximity by inter-connecting them with nearby level crossings.