Eastern Railway Undertakes Infrastructure Upgrades to Enhance Safety and Efficiency in Train Operations ....

Eastern Railway Undertakes Infrastructure Upgrades to Enhance Safety and Efficiency in Train Operations 

Reporter - Shahid Alam 

Eastern Railway is steadfastly working towards the augmentation of infrastructure to ensure smooth and safe train operations, while also improving transport facilities for the public. In this endeavour, Malda Division successfully commissioned five Limited Height Subways (LHS) on 10th and 11th May 2025 as replacements for level crossing gates—significantly contributing to enhanced safety by eliminating level crossings and unauthorized trespassing points.

The newly commissioned RCC box-type Limited Height Subways are located in the following sections:

LHSs were constructed in lieu of Level Crossing Gate Nos. 39 and 44 in the Dhulian Ganga–Nimtita section.

One LHS was constructed in lieu of Level Crossing Gate No. 23 in the Bhagalpur–Kiul section.

Another LHS was constructed in lieu of Level Crossing Gate No. 62 in the Tildanga–Bonidanga section.

An additional LHS was constructed at an unauthorized trespassing location in the Malda Town–New Farakka section.

These infrastructural upgrades aim to minimize human intervention at crossings, ensuring safer and uninterrupted train movements.

In addition to the commissioning of LHSs, several crucial maintenance activities were undertaken in the Malda Town–New Farakka (MLDT–NFK) and Mahipal Road–Manigram (MPLR–MGLE) sections to further enhance the reliability of train operations.

 Continuous Track Renewal Plant (CTRP) work using the Plasser Quick Relaying System (PQRS) was successfully executed in the Up and Loop lines, covering a total of 560 track meters with the insertion of 45 panels.

In addition, Turnout Switch renewal and conversion were carried out at 09 points, significantly enhancing safety at track junctions.

Deep screening of ballast by a Ballast Cleaning Machine (BCM) was completed over 820 track meters, while plain track tamping was accomplished over 15,455 track meters to improve track stability and ride comfort. Turnout tamping was also carried out at 02 points, covering an additional 700 meters.

A total of 2,800 track meters underwent distressing to relieve internal rail stress, and ballast unloading using DMT wagons was completed with 19 wagons to reinforce the track foundation.

Rail piling was executed at Level Crossing Gate Nos. 61 and 63, covering a length of 243 meters, further enhancing track resilience and safety.

Track formation works were also prioritized, with 3,700 track meters of Flat Rolling Mill (FRM) work and 2,000 track meters of Ballast Regulating Machine (BRM) work executed during the shadow block period.

To ensure long-term joint stability, 47 rail joints were welded across the section.

At Bridge No. 41 in the Malda Town–New Farakka section, 156 meters of rail were replaced. Additionally, in the approach to Bridge No. 19 in the same section, curve realignment was carried out over 140 meters to improve both speed potential and safety in these bridge zones.

These comprehensive efforts undertaken during the shadow blocks are a testimony to Eastern Railway’s unwavering commitment to track safety, timely maintenance, and superior service quality for passengers and freight customers alike.