Chennai replaces 70 manual railway crossing gates with electric barriers

Chennai Division of Southern Railway is accelerating the replacement of manual railway-crossing gates with electrically operated lifting barriers, with 70 of the division’s 143 manned level crossings now converted.

The electrically operated lifting barriers (EOLBs) can open or close in around eight to 12 seconds, compared with up to three minutes for manual gates operated by gatekeepers using hand-cranked winches, reported The Times of India.

The upgrade is aimed at reducing the time road users spend waiting at crossings and preventing vehicles from attempting to cross while barriers are being operated.

Each EOLB unit costs around Rs 30 lakh.

The Chennai Beach-Chengalpet section has achieved complete coverage, with all 13 manned level crossings fitted with EOLBs. These include crossings at Chromepet, Pallavaram, Perungalathur and Singaperumal Koil.

On the Chengalpet-Arakkonam section, 19 of 31 crossings have been converted. Eleven of 29 crossings on the Chennai Central-Gudur section have also been upgraded.

Eight of 10 crossings between Chennai Central and Arakkonam have been fitted with the new system, while seven of nine crossings between Arakkonam and Katpadi have been covered.

On the Arakkonam-Renigunta section, six of 14 crossings have been upgraded.

Three of eight crossings on the Katpadi-Villupuram section and three of 29 crossings on the Chengalpet-Villupuram section have also been converted.

The remaining crossings will be taken up in phases, with priority based on road and rail traffic volumes.

Southern Railway has also installed Emergency Sliding Booms at **133 of the division’s 143 crossings**.

The emergency systems can be manually deployed if the main barrier is damaged. This allows the railway crossing’s interlocking system to remain functional while repairs are carried out.

The electrically operated system also reduces the scope for road vehicles to damage barriers or pass through them before they are fully closed.

The replacement programme is part of the wider effort to modernise level crossings and improve the interaction between road and rail traffic on busy routes around Chennai.

The complete conversion of the Chennai Beach-Chengalpet section means motorists on that corridor no longer have to rely on manually operated barriers at its 13 manned crossings.

Southern Railway is continuing with the remaining conversions based on traffic levels and the operational requirements of each crossing.