SCR zone will require six years to eliminate all level crossings
Grieving relatives of the victims (Photo: DC)
Hyderabad: After the bus tragedy at Masaipet level crossing, the South Central Railway authorities started constructing gates at the level crossing on Friday. As a part of the project to eliminate all unmanned level crossings in the SCR zone, this particular level crossing had been prioritised for completion and was under construction for about a year.
However, at the present speed of work, only about 80 to 100 unmanned level crossings can be eliminated per year due to budget constraints, indicate insiders. The SCR zone, which has 640 unmanned crossings, will require six years to eliminate all level crossings.
“With budget sanctions of Rs 83 crore this year, it might not be possible to change more than 100 unmanned level crossings to manned ones. It costs Rs 1 crore to construct interlock gates, while it costs Rs 50 lakh for regular gates. Fund constraints will not allow complete elimination even by the end of 2015-16,” said general secretary of the Railway Mazdoor Union, Shankara Rao.
Under the circumstances, manned level crossings top the priority list. As per rules, if a crossing has more than 50,000 Train Vehicle Units per day, the level crossing is given high priority and will be given three guards around the clock.
A four-wheeler is equivalent to two TVUs, a two wheeler is half a TVU while a bullock cart is one fourth a TVU. In the case of 30,000 TVU level crossings, two or three guards are provided while for 20,000 or less, one guard is provided.
The Masaipet junction has been taken up despite falling below the 20,000 TVU category. Authorities say that the work will be completed in a a few days.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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