Railways explores option to levy safety surcharge on tickets: report

To eliminate unmanned rail crossings and prevent accidents, Railways is mulling levying safety surcharge on train tickets to generate funds for construction of road over or under bridges at level crossings across the country.

As unmanned railway crossings continue to be a primary reason for accidental train deaths, cash-strapped Railways has set an ambitious target of eliminating major level crossings in the next five years.

"The issue of levying safety surcharge for construction of road overbridges or underbridges was discussed in the Railway Board and there are two options available now. Either the government provides us with adequate funds or we be allowed to levy surcharge on tickets to garner the required fund," a senior Railway Ministry official told PTI.

Unmanned crossings have claimed 194 lives in the past three years. Railways has 31,254 level crossings out of which 10,797, about 40 per cent, are unmanned.

However, the official said a final decision is yet to be taken for levying safety surcharge on ticket.

"We are getting Rs 1,100 crore a year from road safety fund but there is a requirement of Rs 6,000 crore per year for five years for eliminating the level crossing menace," he said, adding "the decision for safety levy is yet to be finalised."

According to Railway Ministry data, 48 people were killed in mishaps at unmanned crossings during 2012-13, while 115 people were killed in 2011-12 and 31 in 2010-11.

Railways paid Rs 10.88 lakh in compensation to families of victims of accidents at unmanned crossings in 2012-13, Rs 2.22 lakh in 2011-12 and Rs 17.41 lakh in 2010-11.

"Unmanned crossings are responsible for the maximum number of train accidents and we have to put an end to it," he said.

"Since manning these unmanned crossings is not an ideal solution, we have decided to eliminate all such crossings."

The national transporter has also decided not to add any new level crossing to the network in future.

According to the Kakodkar committee, elimination of all level crossings (manned and unmanned) within five years would cost around Rs 50,000 crore which can be recovered over the next seven-eight years due to savings in operation and maintenance costs and improved train movement.

Railways is also seeking help of state governments and local bodies in sharing the burden of construction of road overbridges or underbridges at level crossings.