More unmanned level crossings falling within Tiruchi Railway Division limits are proposed to be converted into manned gates this year with a view to preventing accidents and augmenting safety. The divisional railway authorities have identified 15 unmanned crossings in different sections to convert them into manned ones in the current financial year.
Most number of unmanned crossings proposed to be taken up for conversion fall in the Villupuram–Tiruchi chord line and Thanjavur–Villupuram mainline sections.
Unmanned crossings with over 3,000 train vehicle units (TVUs) a day have been selected for conversion.
The TVUs are calculated based on the movement of three wheelers, four-wheelers, two-wheelers, and bullock carts multiplied by the number of trains passing through that section, say railway officials. Accident-prone stretches have been taken into account while drawing up plans for conversion.
Encompassing 13 districts, Tiruchi Railway Division accounts for over 550 level crossings of which 364 are manned. Among the six railway divisions in the Southern Railway zone, Tiruchi and Madurai divisions account for the highest number of unmanned level crossings.
Tiruchi division was witness to two fatal accidents at unmanned level crossings in the last financial year with one of them reported between Kumbakonam and Aduthurai railway stations in December last year after Mayiladuthurai-bound Jan Shatabdhi Express rammed a car claiming the lives of two persons on board the vehicle.
The second accident occurred near Pullambadi, about 35 kilometres from Tiruchi, in February after a passenger train hit a tractor-trailer that “trespassed” into the track.
The accident claimed the life of a person seated on the tractor.
Railway officials said the unmanned crossings at both places where the fatal accidents occurred were immediately converted into manned ones .
The officials said 20 other unmanned crossings were proposed to be converted into limited use subways in the current financial year.
All unmanned level crossings falling in the Tiruvarur–Karaikudi–
Tiruthuraipoondi–Agasthiyampalli section will be converted into manned gates or limited use subways as part of gauge conversion work to be taken up by the Construction Organisation of the Southern Railway.
Plans are afoot to convert 10 unmanned crossings into limited use subways when the doubling work is taken up between Thanjavur and Ponmalai railway stations.
Officials said funds were not a constraint for converting unmanned level crossings into manned gates adding that more manpower would be arranged once the work was completed.
With a view to percolating safety message to the people, the Safety Department of Tiruchi division had organised over 75 awareness campaigns in the last two years emphasising the precautions that needed to be followed while passing through an unmanned crossing.
