Sealdah division sanctions 7 LHS to prevent trespassing on tracks

Bahiragachi is a densely populated commercial area where several bustling villages avail access to schools, markets, banks, post offices and healthcare facilities by trespassing a railway line of the Ranaghat-Gede Section of Sealdah Division.

On the Up line of the railway’s Aranghata-Bahiragachi route, five villages survive by crossing a ‘trespass point’ around 85 kilometres from Sealdah. The nearest level crossing gate from the Up line side is around six km and from down side is about three km. Villagers residing on the Up line side of the railway tracks have to cross the railway tracks for their basic needs from markets to schools, coaching centres, health centres, banks, post office even the gram panchayat office. On the Down line side of the tracks, the area accommodates 20 villages that do not have the facility of any alternate road to avail vehicles to reach Ranaghat hospital in emergency situations.

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In AP Nagar area of Sonarpur, residents of the nearby villages are facing a similar situation. Locals of five villages on the Up side of the railway tracks and three villages on the Down side of the railway tracks heavily depend on a trespassing point which is around 16 km from Sealdah. “The nearest level crossing gates are as far as one km from the Up side and five km from the Down side with no road connectivity in close proximity making it an uphill task for the villagers to access the local markets, schools, healthcare facilities or other offices,” informed an official source.

In addition to the two areas with dense population, the Sealdah Division has identified five additional trespassing points in its jurisdiction at Bagula-Banpur in Ranaghat-Gede Section; Karanjali-Nischintapur Market Halt and Kakdwip-Ukiler Hat in Lakshmikantapur-Namkhana Section; Bongaon-Petrapole Section and Krishnanagar-Shantipur Section. “The trespassing spots not only pose threats to human life but also result in delaying train movements,” pointed out a Railway official.

Overcoming the hurdles, the project has now got sanctioned for the construction of seven LHSs at the identified spots. These trespassing points are soon to have low height subways to make passenger and vehicle movement safer and smoother. Field studies revealed that continuous unauthorised crossings at these locations often to exercise caution and reduce speed, affecting operational efficiency while simultaneously creating safety concerns for both railway users and local residents.

The proposed reinforced concrete box subways will create complete grade separation between rail and road movement, allowing pedestrians and local vehicles to pass safely beneath the railway tracks. Once completed, these facilities will significantly reduce the risk of accidents, improve emergency access, and enhance day-to-day mobility for surrounding communities,” said the official.

As pointed out by Rajeev Saxena, Divisional Railway Manager of Sealdah, the proposed Limited Height Subways are not merely infrastructure projects but long-term investments in protecting lives and improving connectivity for local communities. “By addressing critical trespassing locations through engineering solutions, we aim to create a safer railway environment while ensuring that residents can access education, healthcare and economic opportunities without risking their lives on railway tracks,” stated Mr Saxena.