Automatic barriers at major level crossings
 

by Rajmi Manatunga

The Railways Ministry has decided to take swift measures to prevent the increasing number of accidents at unguarded level crossings in the country.

Accordingly, automatic barriers are to be installed at all major level crossings of the island's rail network while formulating a legal framework to prevent unauthorised construction close to the railway line.

Railways Minister Felix Perera told the Daily News yesterday that a memorandum will be submitted to the Cabinet shortly requesting the allocation of Treasury funds to purchase and instal barriers.

"The main problem faced by the Railways Department in addressing this issue is the cost factor. It costs us around Rs 40 million to install one barrier on a double railway line. On a single line the cost is around 20 million per barrier," he said.

Perera said the proposal will be forwarded to the Cabinet as an urgent Paper since unguarded railway crossings have become a major cause of fatal accidents in the past few years.

"We hope to guard at least 250 of the 700 unguarded level crossings in the country using automatic barriers," he added.

The Minister said attention has been drawn to introduce new laws prohibiting construction activities excessively close to the rail track. "Buildings and walls built extremely close to the railway line often conceal the approaching trains from the eye of motorists and pedestrians using level crossings. We expect to prepare a draft Legislation to address the issue," he said. The Ministry is also working with the Highways Ministry to lay humps on roads leading to level crossings.

According to railway statistics, out of the 960 level crossings in various parts of the island, only around 200 are properly guarded while the other 700 lack sufficient means of protections.

A leading businessman was killed and another person was injured last Saturday in the latest of a series of level crossing accidents. The accident occurred when their vehicle collided with a Matara-bound express train at an unguarded level crossing in Wadduwa which had already claimed 15 lives.