Sealdah tops Railways in track deaths, gets 7 new subways to curb trespassing

Railway officials estimate that nearly 1,200 people lose their lives on tracks in the division every year, largely due to unauthorised trespassing.

The move comes amid intensified public focus on railway safety following the recent Murshidabad pool car accident where a vehicle carrying school children was struck at a level crossing due to manual operational error. Officials, however, said the proposed subways address a different problem: illegal trespassing where no official gates exist.

Rapid urbanisation and expanding settlements along railway lines have left thousands of residents with little option but to cross tracks to reach schools, hospitals, markets and workplaces, often several kilometres away from the nearest authorised crossing.

To provide a safer alternative, the Railway Ministry has sanctioned 20 subways across Eastern Railway, of which seven have been allotted to the Sealdah Division. Built as reinforced concrete box structures measuring three metres wide and 2.5 metres high, the subways will allow pedestrians, two-wheelers, auto-rickshaws, e-rickshaws (totos) and cars to cross beneath railway tracks, while restricting heavy vehicles like trucks and buses.

The proposed subways will come up at Aranghata-Bahirgachhi and Bagula-Banpur in the Ranaghat-Gede section; Karanjali-NCPM and Kakdwip-Ukilerhat in the Lakshmikantapur-Namkhana section; Sonarpur-Baruipur; Krishnanagar-Santipur; and the Bangaon-Petrapole section near the international land port.

Each subway is estimated to cost around Rs 5 crore and is expected to be completed within a year. Railway officials said No Objection Certificates from state authorities are being processed to facilitate traffic diversions during construction.

Rajeev Saxena, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Sealdah, said the projects were aimed at reducing fatalities while improving local connectivity.

“Safety remains our foremost priority. These subways are long-term investments designed to protect human lives and improve local connectivity, ensuring residents no longer have to risk their lives on railway tracks to access education, healthcare and trade opportunities,” he said.

Saxena said Indian Railways’ long-term policy is to eliminate level crossings wherever feasible by constructing subways or Road Over Bridges (ROBs).

“Crossing railway tracks is an offence under the Railways Act. The penalties have also been enhanced under the Jan Vishwas Act. But with rapid urbanisation, people began taking shortcuts instead of using distant authorised crossings, leading to accidents. In many places we even had to impose speed restrictions, increasing train travel time,” he said.

He added that after field assessments, Eastern Railway secured approval from the Railway Ministry for 20 subways across the zone, including seven for Sealdah.

The seven subways

• Aranghata-Bahirgachhi (Ranaghat-Gede section)
• Bagula-Banpur (Ranaghat-Gede section)
• Karanjali-NCPM (Lakshmikantapur-Namkhana section)
• Kakdwip-Ukilerhat (Lakshmikantapur-Namkhana section)
• Sonarpur-Baruipur
• Krishnanagar-Santipur
• Bangaon-Petrapole near the international land port