Eastern Railway (ER) launched a seven-day special safety drive across all non-interlocked level crossing (LC) gates in its network on 18 July, days after a fatal accident at Behrampore in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, claimed five lives — including three schoolchildren. The drive targets a systemic vulnerability that officials say directly contributed to Friday's tragedy.

How the Accident Happened

Early on Friday morning, a school van was crossing the LC gate located between Karnasubarna and Khagraghat Road stations when a train struck it along with other vehicles at the crossing. The gate in question is non-interlocked — meaning it operates without any electronic link to the nearest station's signalling system.

The gateman, who has since been arrested, allegedly permitted vehicles to continue crossing until the final moments before the train arrived, reportedly unaware of how close the train was. Officials believe a false or absent closure confirmation allowed the route to be set without the gate actually being shut.

Interlocked vs Non-Interlocked Gates: The Critical Difference

An interlocked LC gate is electronically connected to the signalling system of the nearest station cabin. When a train is due, the assistant station master (ASM) or station master (SM) alerts the gateman, who lowers the barriers and removes a key from the LC locking device. That key is inserted into the signalling equipment relay room, energising a relay and sending a confirmed gate-closed indication to the station control panel. Only after receiving this confirmation can the SM or ASM set the train's route.

Once the route is set, the key is locked in the relay room — the gateman cannot retrieve it until the train has fully cleared the crossing. The SM and ASM can monitor actual gate status on the control panel at all times, leaving no margin for human error or false reporting.

At a non-interlocked gate, none of these safeguards exist. The SM or ASM contacts the gateman over a railway telephone and instructs gate closure verbally. If the gateman falsely claims the gate is shut, the control room has no electronic means to verify it. Officials believe this gap was exploited — whether through negligence or external pressure — at Behrampore.

A Pattern Officials Have Seen Before

'In the past, gatemen have been caught doing this, either due to pressure from locals or due to financial gain from commercial vehicles,' a senior Eastern Railway official said. The remark points to a recurring vulnerability at unmanned or manually operated crossings, where informal arrangements with truck and bus operators have previously led to gates being kept open longer than permitted.

According to the official, there are approximately 60 non-interlocked LC gates across the Eastern Railway network. Efforts are under way to convert all of them to interlocked gates, though no firm deadline has been publicly announced.

What the Safety Drive Entails

The seven-day drive, launched across all non-interlocked LC gates in the ER network, is aimed at intensifying supervision, verifying gateman compliance, and identifying infrastructure gaps. The exercise comes amid broader scrutiny of level crossing safety on Indian Railways, where LC-related accidents have historically accounted for a disproportionate share of fatalities.

With the conversion of remaining non-interlocked gates still in progress, the pressure is now on Eastern Railway to accelerate the timeline — and on the wider rail network to assess how many such vulnerable crossings remain operational across India.