Guwahati, Dec 17 Safety is the cornerstone of train operations, and level crossing (LC) gates play a crucial role in ensuring safe and seamless interaction between rail and road traffic, officials said here on Wednesday.
Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) accords priority to strengthening safety mechanisms at its LC gates through systematic upgradation of signalling systems, adoption of modern technologies and periodic maintenance practices.
NFR’s Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said that these initiatives are aimed at minimising human intervention, enhancing reliability and ensuring the safety of passengers, road users and railway operations across the zone.
As part of this safety-driven approach, NFR has been progressively upgrading interlocked level crossing gates, which ensure that the movement of trains and road traffic is governed through safe signalling and interlocking arrangements, he said.
According to the official, NFR currently has 624 interlocked LC gates across the zone, out of which eight have been installed during the current fiscal year (2025–26), reflecting a strong safety footprint in railway operations.
In addition, sliding boom arrangements have been provided at 10 LC gates across Katihar (Bihar), Rangiya and Tinsukia (both in Assam) divisions of the zone.
Sliding booms enhance visibility and provide a physical barrier at LC gates, significantly improving safety for road users during train movements.
A total of 582 sliding booms have been incorporated at LC gates across the zone to date, the CPRO said.
NFR has also made substantial progress in replacing conventional mechanical lifting barriers with Electric Lifting Barriers (ELBs), which offer higher reliability and quicker response.
A total of 500 ELBs have been commissioned across NFR, marking a major milestone in LC gate safety upgradation.
Division-wise, ELBs have been provided extensively across all divisions, while a new ELB has been commissioned in the Rangiya division, further expanding the coverage of modern, automated safety systems.
A total of 14 ELBs have been replaced from mechanical lifting barriers during the current financial year. These efforts reduce dependence on manual operations and enhance safety at busy and sensitive LC locations.
Sharma said that to further reinforce safety, System Integrity Testing (SIT) has been carried out at 220 LC gates across various divisions to ensure the robustness and fail-safe performance of signalling and interlocking systems.
Signalling cable meggering has been conducted at 32 LC gates, enabling early detection of electrical faults and ensuring the healthy functioning of critical signalling infrastructure.
Through these comprehensive and sustained measures, NFR has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to safety, continuously working towards safer train operations and enhanced protection for the public at LC gates across the region, the official said.
The Northeast Frontier Railway operates across the Northeastern states, as well as in seven districts of West Bengal and five districts of north Bihar.
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