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68 level crossings to be made subways

TIRUCHI: Railway authorities have embarked on the task of converting 68 unmanned level crossings into limited use subways in various sections in Tiruchi Railway Division to prevent accidents.

Works were already in progress with funds granted by the Railway Board. Of the 68 unmanned gates identified for conversion into limited use subways, 35 fall in Tiruchi–Villupuram broad gauge section while 19 come in Mayiladuthurai–Karaikudi section.

Nine unmanned crossings have been identified in Mayiladuthurai–Tiruchi main line; two each in Villupuram–Vellore and Thanjavur–Nagore sections and one in Villupuram–Puducherry section.

A senior railway official here said Rs. 40 lakh would be spent for converting each unmanned gate into a limited use subway. In the current financial year, the Railway Board had sanctioned the conversion of 11 unmanned crossings into limited use subways in the division. The objective was to reduce accidents at unmanned crossings, the official said.

In the financial year 2006-07, four accidents were reported at unmanned crossings in Tiruchi Division though there were no loss of lives.

In the current year, no accidents at unmanned gates had been reported so far in the division, say railway authorities.

Authorities have also taken up the work of converting 20 unmanned gates into manned.

Of this, 10 gates come in Mayiladuthurai–Tiruchi main line; four in Villupuram–Tiruchi broad gauge section; three in Mayiladuthurai–Villupuram section; two in Puducherry–Villupuram and one in Mayiladuthurai–Peralam sections. Five unmanned gates have been manned till now, the official added.

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