Indian Railways has announced plans to eliminate all unmanned railway level crossings (UMLCs) in the country by March 2020.

The deadline was advanced after 13 children were killed when a school van collided with a train at a UMLC near Kushinagar in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, The Times of India reported.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Premium Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

There are currently 5,792 unmanned crossings in the country, with 3,479 on broad gauge, causing major security concerns for local traffic.

The government has planned a varied strategy to eliminate the remaining UMLCs through the construction of Railway Under Bridges (RUBs), Railway OverBridges, and by manning or creating diversions.

The ministry has also carried out a detailed review with the general managers of five critical railway zones, which have the maximum number of UMLCs.

“We will eliminate all unmanned level crossings by 31 March 2020.”

Around 1,000 of the unmanned crossings across 11 broad gauge zones are expected to be eliminated by September this year.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Railway Board chairman Ashwani Lohani was quoted by PTI as saying: “We will eliminate all unmanned level crossings by 31 March 2020.”

However, he also added that people need to be careful while crossing the UMLCs and ensure that no train is approaching from either direction.

In addition to pursuing an aggressive strategy to eliminate UMLCs, Indian Railways has taken multiple other initiatives to reduce accidents at UMLCs such as issuing print and television advertisements to create awareness among people.

The number of accidents at UMLCs was reported to have reduced by 79% from 47 accidents in 2013-14 to ten in 2017-18.