The Chief Minister's Office of Maharashtra on Tuesday, 9 June 2026 issued a directive from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis calling for the development of infrastructure to make the state free of railway level crossings, signalling a renewed push on rail safety and road connectivity.

The official post, shared in Marathi, stated: 'पायाभूत सुविधा उभाराव्यात — रेल्वे फाटकमुक्त राज्यासाठी मुख्यमंत्री देवेंद्र फडणवीस यांच्या सूचना' ['Build infrastructure — Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's instructions for a railway-level-crossing-free state']. The message places elimination of unmanned and manned level crossings at the centre of the state's infrastructure agenda.

Context

Railway level crossings — points where roads and rail tracks intersect at the same grade — have long been a source of fatal accidents across Maharashtra and India at large. Collisions at these crossings claim hundreds of lives nationally every year, making their replacement with overbridges or underpasses a persistent safety priority. CM Fadnavis's instruction signals that the state government intends to accelerate this process through dedicated infrastructure construction.

The directive comes as Maharashtra continues to expand its road and rail network, with several urban and semi-urban corridors experiencing heavier traffic loads that make at-grade crossings increasingly dangerous.

Policy Backdrop

The push aligns with the Setu Bharatam scheme, a central government programme launched in 2016 to eliminate railway level crossings on national highways by replacing them with road overbridges and underbridges. Maharashtra has participated in joint planning with Indian Railways under multiple administrations to execute such projects across the state.

Devendra Fadnavis, a BJP leader who previously served as Chief Minister from 2014 to 2019, has consistently placed infrastructure development at the core of his governance agenda. His current instruction extends that emphasis, framing the removal of railway level crossings as a statewide goal rather than a project-by-project measure.

Indian Railways runs its own parallel programme to replace level crossings with bridges, and coordination between the state government and the national carrier is essential for funding, land acquisition, and timely execution of such projects.

Stakeholders and Impact

The most direct beneficiaries of a level-crossing-free Maharashtra would be daily commuters, freight transporters, and residents of areas where rail tracks bisect busy roads. Elimination of crossings reduces waiting time, fuel consumption, and — most critically — the risk of road-rail collisions.

Local bodies, the Maharashtra Public Works Department, and Indian Railways zones operating in the state — including Central Railway and Western Railway — will all be key implementation partners. The directive is expected to prompt coordination meetings and revised project timelines across districts.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to how the state translates CM Fadnavis's instruction into budgetary commitments and project schedules. Observers will watch for announcements on the number of crossings targeted, funding arrangements between the state and Indian Railways, and district-wise rollout plans.

A credible timeline and ring-fenced budget allocation will be the clearest indicators of whether this directive moves from policy intent to on-ground infrastructure delivery across Maharashtra.