OREANDA-NEWS. August 31, 2012.  As on April 1, 2012, there are 13,530 unmanned level crossings (excluding cattle and canal crossings) in the country. It has emerged from a study of pattern of accidents that manning of unmanned level crossings is not an ideal solution. Therefore, the policy of manning of unmanned level crossings has been reviewed.

 Accordingly Railways have decided to progressively eliminate all unmanned level crossings by (i) Closure – Closing unmanned level crossings having NIL/negligible Train Vehicle Units (TVUs); (ii) Merger – Merger of unmanned level crossing gate of nearby manned or unmanned gates or subway or Road Under Bridge (RUBs) or Road Over Bridges (ROBs) by construction of diversion road; Provision of Subways/RUBs and (iv) Manning – Railway has also decided to progressively man those unmanned level crossings which cannot be eliminated by above methods on the basis of rail-road traffic volume and visibility conditions.

 This information was given by the Minister of State for Railways, Shri Bharatsinh Solanki in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.