18 level crossings unsafe for commuters, pedestrians

Eighteen of the 72 level crossings in 70 km portion of Shantahar-Lalmonirhat rail route in Bogra district pose serious risk of accidents anytime as those are without any gatemen or arrangement for stopping movement of vehicles and pedestrians during the passage of trains.

In the district there are 13 railway stations, namely, Shantahar, Adamdighi, Nashratpur,  Altafnagar, Talora, Panchpir, Kahaloo, Bogra, Gabtoli, Sukhanpukur, Syed Ahmed College, Bhalerpara and Sonatola.

Of the 72 level crossings between Shantahar to Sonatola stations, 54 crossings have arrangement of gatemen and cross bars to stop movement of vehicles across the rail line while the 18 others remain open all the time.

Of the unapproved and risky level crossings, four under Bogra, three under Gabtoli, two each under Nashratpur, Talora, and Kahaloo, one each under Adamdighi, Altafnagar, Shukhanpukur, Bhelurpara and Sonatola stations.

A large number of buses, trucks, microbuses, three-wheelers, and pedestrians including thousands of school and college going students daily pass through the risky level crossings at Celopara Horibashor area, before Azizul Haque College gate, Shahardighi and Puran Bogra 24-MW power house in Bogra town.

Naruli in the town are without any safety arrangement including cross bars and gatemen, posing risk of accidents for commuters and pedestrians. Photo: Mamun-ur-rashid

The level crossing at Puran Bogra near 24-MW power house under Bogra station remains vulnerable to accidents any time, said Atiqul Islam, a local school teacher.

"I have to cross the level crossing several times daily at Puran Bogra and Azizul Haque college gate amid risk," said Emdadul Haque, a student of Government Azizul Haque College.

Several people met tragic death and many others got injured as accidents occurred due to hitting by trains at unsafe level crossings during the last few years, said sources at Government Railway Police.

The accidents killed two micro-bus passengers at Sabgram level crossing in 2010, three passengers of a three-wheeler between Gabtoli and Sukhanpukur in September 2012, two van passengers in Panchpir-Talora rail route area in February 2013, a hawker at Shahardighi on June 20 in 2013, and a woman at Chelopara in September 2013, and four cattle traders near Syed Ahmed College station in December 2013. 

“The authorities of the Western Zone of Bangladesh Railway (BR) could not deploy adequate gatemen in level crossings due to acute manpower crisis. The 16 up and down trains cross Shantahar-Lalmonirhat rail route in one and a half hours but the number of employees is too small to manage the related tasks properly,” said Sajedur Rahman, stationmaster of Gabtoli railway station.

"Tender has been called for construction of cross bars and sheds for the guards at the unprotected crossings. The authorities have already published advertisements and process is on to recruit manpower for arrangement of stopping vehicular movements during the passage of trains at the level crossings," said Afzal Hossain, sub-assistant engineer of BR in Bogra.