(PTI)
The Railway Board has directed all zones to expedite the installation of automatic closure systems at 1,228 level crossings so that a train cannot receive a green signal unless the level crossing gate is properly closed for road traffic.
The automatic closure system, part of the interlocking of level crossing (LC) gates, is a safety mechanism under which LC gates automatically close for road traffic on a train’s approach, or the system gives a stop signal to the train if the gate is open.
Following a passenger train collision with a school van on July 8, 2025, allegedly due to the negligent functioning of a gatekeeper, which killed three school children in Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw ordered the installation of interlocking systems at high-traffic density (measured by Train Vehicle Unit or TVU) LC gates.
