As an additional measure to enhance safety at level crossings, Southern Railway has installed an Automatic Banner Flag as an experimental measure at a non-interlocked manned level crossing gate in the Tiruchi – Karur broad gauge section near here to caution loco pilots and avoid accidents.
The automatic banner flag with reflective tapes has been provided at the manned Level Crossing gate 79 at Kambarasampettai on the city’s outskirts falling under the Salem Railway Division limit.
Developed in-house, the automatic banner flag is connected to the gate winch where the gate-keeper operates the level crossing gate before a train passes by and after its departure from that spot.
Railway officials told ‘The Hindu’ that as the lifting barrier is opened for road traffic at the manned gate, the automatic banner flag installed a few metres away automatically comes across the track.
As the lifting barrier is closed for passing of train, the automatic banner flag gives way in a synchronised operation.
The automation would reduce manual dependence of putting up the banner flags by the gatekeeper when the gate is opened for road traffic.
A similar automatic banner flag would soon be put up on the other side of the manned gate at Kambarasampettai, the officials said.
This is the second manned gate to have been provided with this additional safety measure after the one put up at Salem station, the official said.
The automatic banner flag has been punched with holes to enable air pass through it so as to prevent damage to it. The reflective tapes will make the banner flag visible during night hours.
This is an additional safety measure to have been introduced at a non-interlocked gate in Salem railway division to caution loco pilots and avoid accidents in addition to manned gates and signals, a senior railway officer said.
The non-interlocked gate at Kambarasampettai had been chosen as its vicinity is thickly populated with frequent vehicular movements, another official said.
The automatic banner flag at Kambarasampettai has been put up as a trial measure. Based on its performance a report would be forwarded to Chief Safety Officer who in turn would submit the same to the Lucknow-based Research Design and Standards Organisation before it is extended to other non-interlocked manned gates, the officer said.
