NEW DELHI, 30 JULY

During the past three years and the current financial year up to 20 July 2025, there have been a total of three train accidents involving collisions at manned level crossing gates across the country, railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Vaishnaw responded to questions concerning a recent incident involving a collision between a train and a school bus at a manned level crossing gate in the Tiruchchirappalli Rail Division (Cuddalore District) in Tamil Nadu, which resulted in the death of three students.

In a written reply, the minister detailed that the collision occurred on the morning of 8 July 2025, at the non-interlocked manned level crossing (MLC) gate no 170 on the Villupuram-Mayiladuturai section of the Tiruchchirappalli division of the Southern Railway.

"In the said incident, three persons lost their lives, and three persons sustained simple injuries. An inquiry has been set up to investigate the accident," he added.

Regarding compensation, the union minister noted that the railways paid a total of Rs 16 lakh to the next of kin of deceased and injured victims in train accidents at level crossings during the last three years, from 2022-23 to 2024-25.

"In the Cuddalore collision case, an ex gratia amount of Rs 11 lakh has been paid to the next of kin of deceased and injured individuals," Vaishnaw said. He also highlighted the ongoing interlocking work aimed at eliminating manned level crossings and explained that the interlocking of a level crossing gate is a safety mechanism that ensures signals protecting the crossing gate will only allow a train to proceed when the route is clear, and the gate is closed and locked.

"Presently, 11,096 manned level crossing gates have been interlocked. In Tamil Nadu, 1,053 manned level crossing gates have been interlocked so far, out of a total of 1,255 manned level crossing gates in the state. Further, the interlocking work has been taken up at 72 manned level crossings in the State," Vaishnaw said.

He added that all Unmanned Level Crossings (UMLCs) on the running lines of the Broad Gauge (BG) network were eliminated by 31 January 2019.

The minister also discussed the construction of road-over-bridges (ROBs) and road-under-bridges (RUBs) as measures to eliminate level crossings. He explained that level crossings can be eliminated either by constructing ROBs/RUBs or by directly closing low-traffic crossings or diverting road traffic to nearby facilities, depending on site conditions.

From 2004 to 2014, 4,148 ROBs and RUBs were built, while from 2014 until June 2025, a total of 13,426 ROBs/RUBs have been constructed, he said.

Vaishnaw noted that as of 1 April 2025, 4,402 ROBs/RUBs have been sanctioned for Rs 1,00,860 crore for the railways, including 235 ROBs/RUBs in Tamil Nadu for Rs 4,669 crore, which are at various stages of planning and execution.

"There are 92 LCs in Cuddalore, out of which 11 LCs were sanctioned for elimination by ROB/RUB. However, due to non-receipt of consent for closure for construction from the Tamil Nadu government, 7 RUB works could not be taken up," the union minister mentioned.