Lurking danger at ‘manned level crossing’

With the gate at RP Peta closed round the clock, people face risk in crossing over to the other side. There is a municipal school at Kancharapalem mettu and those staying at RP Peta, Gavara Kancharapalem and other areas have to either cross the track or take a detour via the flyover and walk for about a km to reach their school.

Motorists negotiating through a passage even as the level crossing gate is closed at R.P. Peta in Visakhapatnam.Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam

A ‘manned level crossing’ has turned out to be a curse for the residents of six colonies, including a railway colony, at Rammurthy Pantula (RP) Peta in the city. The mechanical gate remains locked round the clock despite the presence of gatemen.

Trains are held up right at the crossing sometimes for half an hour or more and pedestrians are forced to board the trains to cross over to the other side.

There is a municipal school at Kancharapalem mettu and those staying at RP Peta, Gavara Kancharapalem and other areas have to either cross the track or take a detour via the flyover and walk for about a km to reach their school.

The East Coast Railway (ECoR) authorities have found a way out, perhaps to justify permanent closure of the gate. They provided a path at either ends to allow motorcycles, cycles and even cycle rickshaws to pass through, even while the gate remains closed.

Permanently closed

“They used to open the gate in the past twice a day, but locked it up permanently after locals staged a dharna demanding opening of the gate whenever trains cross the track. While this is the fate of the RP Peta level crossing gate, the other ‘manned gate’, located a little distance away, which is operated when empty rakes are taken to the washing lines (Coaching Complex), has been totally removed,” says Surisetty Kumar, a BSNL employee, who has been living at RP Peta for over five decades.

“The EMRI 108 ambulance is also forced to take a round about even during emergencies delaying the travel of patients by 15 minutes or more. The gate control is at the Railway Station. We had demanded shifting of the signal point so that trains do not stop at the crossing and thereby avoid the prospect of women and children falling while trying to cross over to the other side by boarding the standing train,” says Pydiraju of Gavara Kancharapalem.

“The problem is compounded during the Sunday shandy and the annual festival of goddess Mutyamamba and goddess Pydimamba, when huge crowds gather and trains blocking the crossing,” he adds.