The Chief Minister's Office of Maharashtra announced on Tuesday, 9 June 2026 that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has pledged to eliminate all railway level crossings across the state, positioning Maharashtra as a leader in rail safety and infrastructure modernisation.

Context

CM Fadnavis has vowed to make Maharashtra a railway level crossing-free state, a commitment that places the state at the forefront of grade-separation infrastructure in India. Level crossings — points where roads and rail tracks intersect at the same grade — are among the most persistent sources of road and rail accidents across the country. Their elimination through road-over-bridges (ROBs) and road-under-bridges (RUBs) is widely regarded as a critical safety imperative.

Maharashtra operates one of India's densest combined rail and road networks, making the presence of unmanned and manned level crossings a chronic hazard for both road users and railway commuters. The state's urban and peri-urban corridors, in particular, carry heavy mixed traffic that amplifies risks at such crossings.

Policy Backdrop

The pledge aligns with a long-standing national policy direction. The central government's Setu Bharatam scheme, launched in 2016, specifically targeted the removal of level crossings on national highways through the construction of ROBs and RUBs. Indian Railways, as the national operator, has progressively worked with state governments to fund and execute grade-separation projects as part of successive national budget cycles.

Multiple Indian states have aligned with central railway modernisation drives that prioritise grade separation to reduce accidents and ease traffic congestion. Maharashtra's announcement fits a visible pattern of state-central coordination on rail infrastructure funding and project execution. CM Fadnavis, who has overseen the state across prior terms, has consistently flagged large-scale infrastructure as a governance priority.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries of a level crossing-free Maharashtra would be the state's millions of daily road users and railway commuters. Eliminating crossings reduces the risk of collisions between vehicles and trains, cuts delays caused by closed crossing gates, and improves the overall flow of freight and passenger movement.

Local bodies, highway authorities, and Indian Railways zonal divisions operating in Maharashtra — including the Central Railway and Western Railway zones — would be key implementing partners. Funding structures for ROB and RUB projects typically involve cost-sharing between the state government and the railway ministry, making budgetary coordination a central execution variable.

What's Next

The immediate focus will be on whether the state government follows the announcement with a detailed project list, phased timelines, and a formal funding framework — potentially through a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Railways. Observers will watch the next state budget and railway budget for allocations that operationalise the commitment.

If executed at scale, a level crossing-free Maharashtra would represent one of the most comprehensive grade-separation programmes undertaken by any Indian state, setting a benchmark that other densely networked states may be pressed to match.