Lok Sabha Question No. 2519 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-01
Subject: Unmanned Level Crossings
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: ANIL SHIROLE, M. CHANDRAKASI, SANKAR PRASAD DATTA, NISHIKANT  DUBEY, SANJAY JAISWAL, HARISH DWIVEDI, PARBHUBHAI NAGARBHAI VASAVA, ANTO  ANTONY, RAVINDRA KUMAR PANDEY, George Baker, RAHUL KASWAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2519

TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.08.2018

## UNMANNED LEVEL CROSSINGS

## 2519. SHRI ANIL SHIROLE:

SHRI M. CHANDRAKASI:

SHRI SANKAR PRASAD DATTA:

SHRI NISHIKANT DUBEY:

DR. SANJAY JAISWAL:

SHRI HARISH CHANDRA ALIAS HARISH DWIVEDI:

SHRI PARBHUBHAI NAGARBHAI VASAVA:

SHRI ANTO ANTONY:

SHRI RAVINDRA KUMAR PANDEY:

SHRI GEORGE BAKER:

SHRI RAHUL KASWAN:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state :

- (a) the details of the number of unmanned crossings across the country, zone-wise including West Bengal;
- (b) the  details  of  the  number  of  accidents  happened at  these unmanned crossings during  the  last  three  years  and  the  current  year,  zone-wise  and the persons died in these accidents;
- (c) the  policy  laid  down  for  payment  of  compensation  and  the  total compensation paid to the next of kin of those died in these accidents during the last three years, zone-wise and year-wise;
- (d) whether  the  Government  is  planning/proposing  to  construct  over bridges/underpass at these crossings or the Government has received any proposal in this regard from some of the States; and
- (e) if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  time  by  which  it  is  likely  to  be constructed?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

(SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)

- (a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2519 BY SHRI ANIL SHIROLE,  SHRI M. CHANDRAKASI, SHRI SANKAR PRASAD DATTA, SHRI NISHIKANT DUBEY, DR. SANJAY JAISWAL, SHRI  HARISH  CHANDRA  ALIAS  HARISH  DWIVEDI,  SHRI  PARBHUBHAI NAGARBHAI  VASAVA,  SHRI  ANTO  ANTONY,  SHRI  RAVINDRA  KUMAR PANDEY, SHRI GEORGE  BAKER  AND  SHRI  RAHUL  KASWAN  TO  BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 01.08.2018 REGARDING UNMANNED LEVEL CROSSINGS

(a): The number of unmanned level crossings (UMLCs) on Broad Gauge (BG), Meter Gauge (MG) and Narrow Gauge (NG), as on 01.04.2018 is as follows:

| SN   | Zonal Railway              |   BG |   MG |   NG |   Total |
|------|----------------------------|------|------|------|---------|
| 1    | Central Railway            |    0 |    0 |  109 |     109 |
| 2    | Eastern Railway            |    0 |    0 |    0 |       0 |
| 3    | East Central Railway       |  448 |  207 |    0 |     655 |
| 4    | East Coast Railway         |  117 |    0 |    0 |     117 |
| 5    | Northern Railway           |  606 |    0 |    4 |     610 |
| 6    | North Central Railway      |   83 |    5 |  191 |     279 |
| 7    | North Eastern Railway      |  453 |  176 |    0 |     629 |
| 8    | Northeast Frontier Railway |  151 |    0 |  167 |     318 |
| 9    | North Western Railway      |  311 |  100 |    0 |     411 |
| 10   | Southern Railway           |  185 |   85 |    0 |     270 |
| 11   | South Central Railway      |  151 |    0 |    0 |     151 |
| 12   | South Eastern Railway      |  149 |    0 |    0 |     149 |
| 13   | South East Central Railway |    0 |    0 |  204 |     204 |
| 14   | South Western Railway      |  187 |    0 |    0 |     187 |
| 15   | Western Railway            |  638 |  562 |  503 |    1703 |
| 16   | West Central Railway       |    0 |    0 |    0 |       0 |
|      | Total                      | 3479 | 1135 | 1178 |    5792 |

There are 314 UMLCs in the State of West Bengal in which 147 are on BG and 167 on NG.  There are no UMLCs on MG in the State of West Bengal.

(b):  Zone-wise details of number of consequential unmanned level crossing (UMLC) accidents and persons killed therein during the last three years i.e. 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18 and in the current financial year 2018-19 (upto 30 th June 2018) are given below:

| Zonal Railway              | 2015- 16        |        | 2016- 17        |        | 2017- 18        |        | 2018- 19 (Upto 30.06. 2018)   |        |
|----------------------------|-----------------|--------|-----------------|--------|-----------------|--------|-------------------------------|--------|
| Zonal Railway              | No. of accident | Killed | No. of accident | Killed | No. of accident | Killed | No. of accident               | Killed |
| Central Railway            | 0               | 0      | 0               | 0      | 0               | 0      | 0                             | 0      |
| Eastern Railway            | 0               | 0      | 1               | 1      | 0               | 0      | 0                             | 0      |
| East Central Railway       | 0               | 0      | 4               | 6      | 2               | 3      | 0                             | 0      |
| East Coast Railway         | 0               | 0      | 0               | 0      | 0               | 0      | 0                             | 0      |
| Northern Railway           | 9               | 23     | 4               | 9      | 3               | 6      | 0                             | 0      |
| North Central Railway      | 1               | 5      | 1               | 1      | 2               | 6      | 0                             | 0      |
| North Eastern Railway      | 5               | 11     | 2               | 9      | 1               | 5      | 1                             | 13     |
| Northeast Frontier         | 2               | 2      | 3               | 4      | 0               | 0      | 0                             | 0      |
| North Western Railway      | 7               | 9      | 2               | 3      | 1               | 1      | 0                             | 0      |
| Southern Railway           | 0               | 0      | 0               | 0      | 0               | 0      | 0                             | 0      |
| South Central Railway      | 0               | 0      | 0               | 0      | 0               | 0      | 0                             | 0      |
| South Eastern Railway      | 2               | 6      | 1               | 1      | 0               | 0      | 0                             | 0      |
| South East Central Railway | 0               | 0      | 0               | 0      | 0               | 0      | 0                             | 0      |
| South Western Railway      | 1               | 1      | 2               | 6      | 0               | 0      | 0                             | 0      |
| Western Railway            | 2               | 1      | 0               | 0      | 1               | 5      | 0                             | 0      |
| West Central Railway       | 0               | 0      | 0               | 0      | 0               | 0      | 0                             | 0      |
| Total                      | 29              | 58     | 20              | 40     | 10              | 26     | 1                             | 13     |

(c): As  per  provisions  of  Section  124  and  124A  of  the  Railways  Act,  1989, Railways are liable to pay compensation for death of a passenger in a train accident  or  untoward  incident.    As  such,  Railways  are  not  liable  to  pay compensation for loss of life of the road users for accidents at UMLCs, under the Railways Act, 1989.  However, next of kin of deceased can file a claim for  compensation  in  Motor  Accident  Claims  Tribunal  (MACT).    Railway administration is liable to pay compensation only when a decree is awarded by Hon'ble MACT in favour of the claimant and Railway decides to implement the decree.

The  amount  of  compensation  paid  to  the  next  of  kin  of  those  died  in accidents at UMLCs during the last three years is as follows:

(Amount in Lakhs of ` )

| Year    | Accidents at Unmanned Level Crossings   | Accidents at Unmanned Level Crossings   | Accidents at Unmanned Level Crossings   |
|---------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
|         | Railway Zone                            | Amount paid to next of kin of deceased  | Total                                   |
| 2015-16 | NR                                      | 7.81                                    | 28.89                                   |
|         | WR                                      | 21.08                                   |                                         |
| 2016-17 | WR                                      | 10.90                                   | 10.90                                   |
| 2017-18 |                                         | 0                                       | 0                                       |

Note:-  The  compensation paid in a year need not necessarily relate to the accidents/casualties  in  that  year  alone.    This  amount  depends  upon  the number of cases which are finalized in a particular year irrespective of the year(s) in which the accident they pertain to, have occurred.

(d)  &  (e):  The  unmanned level crossings (UMLCs) on Broad Gauge (BG) are targeted for elimination by March 2020.  However efforts are being made to eliminate all UMLCs on BG even earlier also.  It is the endeavor of Railways

--4-/

- to eliminate all unmanned level crossings  in  a  phased manner by either of the following :- Closure - Closing unmanned level crossings having NIL/ negligible Train Vehicle Unit (TVU).  Merger -Merger of unmanned level crossing gate to nearby manned/unmanned level crossing or subway/Road Under Bridge (RUB)/Road Over Bridge (ROB) by construction of diversion road.  Provision of Subways/RUBs. be
-  ManningManning of unmanned level crossings which cannot eliminated by above means.

The  UMLCs  on  MG  and  NG  will  be  eliminated  during  Gauge  conversion. Railways has not received any proposal for elimination of UMLC from any of the State Govt.

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