NEW DELHI:

is just ‘one’ short of eliminating all unmanned levels crossings on broad gauge lines across country and the 3,479th crossing will be eliminated before March end. It also said safety initiatives taken has helped bring down fatalities due to collisions and derailment by 75% during this year.

The major focus on this aspect of safety has resulted in sharpest decline in number of

at unmanned crossings from 20 in 2016-17 to only three during the current financial year. The elimination of unmanned level crossings include building of over bridges or underpasses across the rail track and by manning them. The railway ministry, on Saturday, shared a list of this year’s achievements and initiatives. It said the number of rail accidents has decreased by more half from 104 in 2016 to only 44 till November this year.

An official said, “The fatality figures in collision and derailment categories of accidents taken together have come down from 28 to seven (75% reduction) between April to December 15 as compared to the previous corresponding period of 2017. Similarly, number of collision and derailment cases have come down from 45 to 36 (20% reduction).” He added the measures taken for safety included massive renewal of tracks, maintenance of tracks taking long traffic blocks and regular safety review exercises, better safety related training to the staff and close monitoring of performance.

After investigation into the

Amritsar

mishap, which had claimed at least 61 lives, the ministry had concluded that it was a case of trespassing and hence these have not been included in the number of deaths caused due to rail accidents. The ministry had said there was no negligence on the part of the national transporter. The ministry said it has undertaken maximum ever rail renewal of 4,405 km in 2017-18 and 5,000 km has been planned during the current year with outlay of 11,450 crore. Already 2,812 km has been completed.