Western Railway is committed to providing a safe and efficient travel experience to its passengers. In this direction, Western Railway’s Mumbai Central division has achieved a significant milestone by closing 105 level crossings over the last 5 years, including both interlocked and non-interlocked ones. Closing level crossings on railways has numerous benefits, including enhanced road and rail safety, easing congestion, reducing accidents, increasing train speed, and improving punctuality, as well as overall smooth rail operations and efficiency.
According to the Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railway, Vineet Abhishek, the Mumbai Central division of WR has achieved a notable milestone in safety enhancement by closing 105 level crossings over the last 5 years. Closing level crossings on railways will yield multiple advantages, including:
SAFETY BENEFITS: Closing level crossings has significantly reduced the risk of accidents, injuries, and fatalities by eliminating the potential for collisions between trains and road vehicles. Closing level crossings has enhanced public safety by removing the risk of accidents, thereby reducing the emotional and economic impact on families and communities.
TRAFFIC AND CONGESTION BENEFITS: Closing level crossings has significantly reduced traffic congestion, especially on busy routes like the Mumbai – Vadodara – Delhi section, which serves high-speed trains like Vande Bharat, Rajdhani, and Shatabdi Express trains. The elimination of level crossings improves traffic flow, reduces congestion, and allows trains to achieve higher sectional speeds of up to 160 km/h. Closing level crossings boosts traffic efficiency by eliminating the need for vehicles to stop, thereby reducing travel time. This, in turn, enables the Railways to increase train services exponentially, meeting public demand and enhancing overall traffic management.
ECONOMIC BENEFITS: Closing level crossings has saved costs associated with maintaining, upgrading, and modernizing level crossing infrastructure, as well as reducing the economic impact of accidents. Closing level crossings has increased productivity by improving traffic flow and reducing congestion, particularly for businesses that rely on the timely transportation of passengers, goods, and services.
RAILWAY BENEFITS: Closing level crossings has improved railway safety and efficiency by reducing the risk of accidents and enhancing the overall safety of railway operations. Additionally, trains no longer need to slow down or stop mid-section due to delayed closure of level crossings, resulting in reduced travel time and improved railway performance.
Vineet further added that Western Railway will continue to work towards improving safety and efficiency, with a focus on upgrading infrastructure and enhancing the overall travel experience for its passengers.
