Kolkata, Sep 23 — The level crossing gate in West Bengal, where an accident claimed five lives earlier this year, was made safer by Eastern Railway (ER) on Wednesday through the commissioning of the Non-Interlocked Level Crossing (NILC) Auto PN (Private Number) System.
The system was also installed at two other level crossing gates between the Karnasubarna and Khagraghat Road stations in the presence of ER General Manager Gitika Pandey.
On the morning of July 17 this year, the gateman at one of the upgraded level crossings failed to shut it down in time, allowing a school pool car to enter the path of a train. Four children, who were travelling in the car, were killed. A cyclist also died in the accident. Several other children and the pool car driver suffered serious injuries. Since then, the Ministry of Railways has urged ER to take remedial measures.
During the day, Pandey reviewed the prescribed operating procedures at one of the level crossing gates and interacted with the gateman to assess his knowledge of safety rules, gate-working procedures, emergency response protocols, and maintenance of essential equipment. She emphasised strict adherence to laid-down safety procedures and alertness while performing safety-critical duties.
She also inspected the interlocking panel at Karnasubarna station and interacted with the station master on duty. She reviewed the signalling panel's functioning, operational procedures, and safety provisions governing train operations.
The newly commissioned NILC Auto PN System enables the station master to monitor the level crossing gate status in real time. It facilitates structured PN-based communication with the gateman in accordance with prescribed operating procedures. Under this system, the station manager can ensure that the level crossing is shut before giving a train clearance to pass, instead of relying solely on the gateman’s word.
“The system incorporates several technology-based safety features, including verification of boom and lever locking, RKT-based physical authentication, LiDAR-based train approach and departure detection, real-time status indication, and an authenticated train-cancellation procedure,” an official said.
“Importantly, the system functions as an additional safety aid and supplements the prescribed operating procedures, communication protocols, and physical verification carried out by railway operating staff. It is intended to improve situational awareness, strengthen communication between the station master and gateman, and reduce the possibility of procedural lapses during train operations,” he added.
The commissioning of the NILC Auto PN System at the three level crossing gates between Karnasubarna and Khagraghat Road marks another important step in ER’s ongoing programme of technology-driven safety enhancement and modernisation of level crossing operations. The system will gradually be introduced at other non-interlocked level crossing gates, the official added.