Daily Times

Pakistan Railways has upgraded over 167 vulnerable un-manned level crossings to manned level crossings. The department had identified a total of 550 similar crossings at its countrywide network last year.

“The relevant provincial government provided the finances to Pakistan Railways for the upgradation of un-manned level crossings in the country,” official sources in the Ministry of Railways told APP on Monday.

They said that the department was taking several steps including the up-gradation of unmanned and vulnerable railway level crossings across the country in collaboration with respective provincial governments.

The sources said that there were two types of level crossings over the Pakistan Railways network, unmanned and manned level crossings, adding that the unmanned level crossings were without gate leaves.

“There are a total of 1,565 unmanned level crossings over the entire railway network and as per railway policy in vogue, the up-gradation of any unmanned or manned level crossing is the responsibility of road owning authority,” they added.

The sources said that a joint survey of Pakistan Railways and the Provincial Government was also conducted in 2013-14 to identify accident-prone/vulnerable un-manned level crossings across the country.

They said that it also mentioned Section 12 of the Railway Act of 1890 that the district administration or road authority should bear the expenses for the upgradation of these unmanned level crossings.