Unmanned crossings removed, Rlys tells HC

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 7

More than a year after a train driver was killed when a truck rammed into a passenger train at an unmanned crossing in Jalalabad, the Railways has claimed the elimination of all unmanned crossing in both Punjab and Haryana. As many as 269 unmanned crossings were in the Ferozepur Division alone.

As the issue came up for resumed hearing, Justice Rajan Gupta of the Punjab and Haryana High Court asserted that the assistance of the state counsel was apparently required. Directing the handing over of the petition’s copy to counsel for both the states, Justice Gupta directed them to “apprise the court in light of statement made before the Bench on behalf of the Railways”.

As the case came up for resumed hearing before the Bench, Additional Divisional Railway Manager, New Delhi, Rajiv Dhankar submitted: “All unmanned railways crossings in Punjab and Haryana have been eliminated. Road overbridges and underbridges have been constructed and gatekeepers deployed at such crossings with telephone facility.” He further submitted that an affidavit in this regard would be filed by the next date of hearing.

The developments took place on a petition filed by Gurvinder Singh and another petitioner against the Union of India and another respondent. The Bench had earlier framed a larger question on steps contemplated by the Railways to avoid accidents at unmanned railway crossings.

The Railways, in a related matter, had virtually placed the Punjab government in dock by claiming that its proposals to prevent untoward incidents in future had, so far, not met with a response by the Deputy Commissioners concerned.

Referring to a communication received from the Divisional Railway Manager, Northern Railway, Ferozepur, its counsel had submitted the move to undertake safety measures to avoid accidents included overbridge, underbridge, limited height subway and diversion or merger with the nearest manned level crossing. He had added that a communication in this regard had already been sent to the Deputy Commissioners concerned for grant of NOCs, but reply had not been received.