RailEnquiry

Jalandhar: Scores of unmanned railway level crossings in and around the city are posing a serious threat to the lives of people here. On an average, as many as 15 persons are run over by trains in Jalandhar, Nawanshahr and Kapurthala every month, a Government Railway Police (GRP) official said.Though the state government claims to have taken several initiatives to complete certain railway overbridges across Punjab, including the one opposite Khalsa College here, many are still unmanned.Records reveal there are 342 level crossings under the GRP, Jalandhar, out of which just 115 are manned.The much-needed Chandan Nagar railway under-bridge and bridges at Adda Hoshiarpur, Guru Nanak Pura level crossing, Chuggitti level crossing are some of the major bottlenecks on the city entry points.The decade-long demand of city residents had forced the administration to construct a railway over/underbridge which was also an election issue during the 2007 and 2012 Assembly elections.A notification was issued in this regard two years ago by the leaders but the problem still persists. “It has not only put the residents to a great hardship but it is also affecting the business of local traders adversely,” Naresh Kumar, a trader based in Central Town, said.Many of these level crossings remain closed most of the time as more than 160 trains cross the Jalandhar-Ferozepur and Jalandhar-Amritsar routes every day.

Risking lives:An average 15 persons run over by trains every month in Jalandhar, Nawanshahr and Kapurthala Only 115 level crossings out of 342 under the GRP, Jalandhar, are manned Level crossings at Guru Nanak Pura and Chuggitti are major bottlenecks while entering the city