Railways to upgrade 1,000 level crossings to check accidents

BANGALORE - The Indian Railways will upgrade about 1,000 level crossings across the country to prevent accidents at unmanned inter-sections, Minister of State for Railways K.H. Muniyappa said Tuesday.

“Out of 1,600 level crossings across the country that require to be upgraded, about 1,000 of them will be taken up during fiscal 2010-11 to build railway over bridges or underpasses for ensuring safety of passengers and people,” Muniyappa told reporters here.

In Karnataka, 58 bridges with road over or under the rail tracks will be completed in the next two years.

“The state government has come forward to fund about 20 rail projects across the state under the public-private partnership (PPP) model. The railway board will take up the project proposals next month to include as many of them in the railway budget for fiscal 2010-11,” Muniyappa said.

The railway ministry is waiting for environmental clearances to take up the Hubli-Ankola line, as a section of the route will pass through the rich bio-diverse Western Ghats region.

“Similarly, we will consider a new line between Bangalore and Satyamangalam on Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border after the environment ministry gives nod, as the central empowerment committee raised objection due to the elephant corridor on the proposed route across the forest area,” the minister added.