Level crossings cause traffic gridlocks

Level crossings cause traffic gridlocks
Prathima Nandakumar | TNN

Bangalore: Traffic comes to a standstill no less than 28 times a day near Byatarayanpura, sending the entire grid into chaos. There are 475 such traffic-freezers in and around Bangalore in the form of railway level crossings; of this, 150 are not even guarded.
While the Railway Board has sanctioned 14 railway overbridges (ROB) and 12 railway underbridges (RUB) in the Bangalore division, the South Western Railway (SWR) has recommended converting 14 level crossings into ROB or RUB, as part of the costsharing project of the SWR and Karnataka government.
“Any level crossing with train vehicle units (TVU) of one lakh or above qualifies to be upgraded into an ROB or RUB. TVU is calculated by multiplying the number of trains and number of vehicles plying over the level crossing in a day. An RUB or ROB is a better option as level crossings could lead to accidents and disrupt traffic,’’ explained Alok Tiwari, divisional railway manager (works).
The BBMP is surveying level crossings afresh to submit a detailed project to the Centre under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission for funds. The chief engineers will also project traffic density for the next 20 years.
The SWR will share 50% cost of ROB/RUBs if they are built over an existing level crossing. The BBMP will have to fund the project if the bridges come up over railway tracks, and not level crossings.
Experts said level crossings cannot be eliminated. “Roads passing through a level crossing should have enough length and width to carve out the slopes for an ROB or RUB. If there’s limited space, we’ll be forced to opt for manned level crossings. At least 100 level crossings will be manned by the yearend,’’ Tiwari said. A road underbridge costs less than a flyover or a road over bridge: RUB costs about Rs 6 crore and ROB Rs 10 crore.