A recent train accident at a Level Crossing gate in Berhampore, West Bengal, claimed the lives of five individuals, including three schoolchildren. This incident has prompted Eastern Railway officials to take action. Eastern Railway plans to convert most of the remaining 99 non-interlocked LC gates under its jurisdiction to interlocked ones.
The initiative involves replacing the non-interlocked LC Gates with subways to enhance safety measures. ER General Manager Milind Deouskar has prioritized this project, leading a comprehensive infrastructure modernization effort in all four divisions — Sealdah, Howrah, Asansol, and Malda. The goal is to ensure smooth, secure, and accident-free movement for all passengers.
At traditional non-interlocked LC Gates, safety depends on manual telephonic communication between station staff and gatekeepers to lower the barrier. However, this method leaves room for human error or delays. To address this risk, Eastern Railway is actively installing high-tech Interlocked LC gates. These gates are electronically synchronized with the signaling system, ensuring that the signal remains red if the gate is not completely closed, locked, and secured.
“To make journeys even smoother and safer, ER is constructing Road Under Bridges (RUBs) and Limited Height Subways (LHS) at some locations. These subways allow road vehicles, ambulances, and pedestrians to cross safely beneath train tracks without waiting at closed gates or crossing live railway lines,” an official stated.
In the Sealdah Division, out of 379 manned LC gates, 368 are already interlocked, with only 11 remaining non-interlocked. Similarly, in the Howrah Division, 267 out of 301 LC gates are interlocked, and in the Asansol Division, 93 out of 127 gates are interlocked. The Malda Division has 79 interlocked gates out of 99. Across all four divisions, Eastern Railway manages 906 manned LC gates, with 807 fully interlocked and 99 non-interlocked. Additionally, there are 579 subways facilitating vehicle and pedestrian movement, with plans for more construction to eliminate LCs entirely.
Eastern Railway CPRO Shibram Majhi emphasized the ongoing commitment to enhancing safety within the railway network.
