**Executive Summary**
This report, released on February 11, 2026, by the Ministry of Railways, provides an update on railway level crossings in Maharashtra. It details the progress in eliminating unmanned level crossings, constructing Road Over Bridges/Road Under Bridges (ROBs/RUBs), and implementing various safety measures to reduce accidents. The report also includes data on expenditures, infrastructure improvements, and accident statistics up to December 2025 and January 2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Level Crossings in Maharashtra:**
* As of April 1, 2025, there are 601 Level Crossings (LCs) in Maharashtra, including 595 Manned Level Crossings (MLCs).
* All Unmanned Level Crossings (UMLCs) on the Broad Gauge (BG) network were eliminated by January 31, 2019.
* **Construction of ROBs/RUBs:**
* ROBs/RUBs construction is an ongoing process to eliminate LCs, prioritized based on safety and mobility impact.
* 4,148 ROBs/RUBs were constructed between 2004 and 2014.
* 13,882 ROBs/RUBs were constructed between 2014 and December 2025, including 1,228 in Maharashtra.
* As of January 1, 2026, 4,769 ROBs/RUBs are sanctioned at a cost of ₹1,14,298 crore on Indian Railways (269 in Maharashtra at ₹5,599 crore).
* Completion of ROB/RUB works is dependent on cooperation from State Governments and other factors.
* **Measures to Expedite ROB/RUB Progress:**
* Joint surveys with State Governments/Road Owning Authorities before finalizing General Arrangement Drawings (GAD).
* Periodic meetings of Railway and State Government officials to resolve issues related to ROB/RUB works.
* Standardization of superstructure drawings for various span, skewness and width combinations.
* Execution of ROB/RUB works on a single entity basis by Railway wherever possible.
* **Safety Measures and Accident Reduction:**
* Safety is accorded the highest priority, leading to a steep decline in accidents.
* Consequential Train Accidents reduced from 135 in 2014-15 to 12 (90% decrease) up to January 31, 2026.
* Accident Index (consequential accidents/total running kilometers) reduced from 0.11 in 2014-15 to 0.03 (73% decrease) in 2024-25.
* **Expenditure on Safety Related Activities (in Cr.):**
* 2013-14: 39,200
* 2022-23: 87,336
* 2023-24: 1,01,662
* 2024-25: 1,14,022
* 2025-26: 1,17,693
* **Other Safety Enhancements:**
* Electrical/Electronic Interlocking Systems at 6,660 stations.
* Interlocking of Level Crossing Gates at 10,097 gates.
* Track Circuiting at 6,665 stations.
* Deployment of Kavach Version 4.0 on 1297 Route Kilometres.
* Equipping locomotives with Vigilance Control Devices (VCD).
* GPS based Fog Safety Device (FSD) for loco pilots in fog-affected areas.
* Use of modern track structure, mechanized track laying, and ultrasonic flaw detection.
* Online monitoring system of track assets and preventive maintenance of railway assets.
* Replacement of conventional ICF coaches with LHB design coaches.
* Regular inspection of bridges.
* Display of "Fire Notices" in coaches.
* Fire detection and suppression systems in newly manufactured coaches.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Indian Railways**
* **Impact:** Continuing commitment to safety, infrastructure upgrades, and modernization efforts. Requires ongoing investment in technology, track renewal, and bridge maintenance.
* **Action Required:** Continued implementation of safety measures, monitoring of accident trends, and efficient execution of ROB/RUB projects.
**Stakeholder: State Government of Maharashtra**
* **Impact:** Enhanced safety and mobility within the state due to the elimination of UMLCs and construction of ROBs/RUBs.
* **Action Required:** Cooperation in land acquisition, approvals, and addressing local issues to facilitate the timely completion of railway projects.
**Stakeholder: Railway Passengers**
* **Impact:** Increased safety during train travel due to various safety measures. Reduced delays and improved travel times due to the elimination of LCs.
* **Action Required:** Adherence to safety guidelines and regulations, including fire safety instructions and reporting any safety concerns.
**Stakeholder: Road Users**
* **Impact:** Improved traffic flow and reduced waiting times at railway crossings due to ROBs/RUBs. Enhanced safety by eliminating the risk of accidents at level crossings.
* **Action Required:** Awareness of new infrastructure and compliance with traffic regulations near railway tracks.
Key Entities Referenced
Indian Railways: The primary organization responsible for the railway network discussed in the document, and the main subject of its policies and actions.
Road Over Bridges/Road Under Bridges (ROBs/RUBs): Structures constructed to eliminate Level Crossings on Indian Railways, a key focus of the discussed infrastructure improvement efforts.
Level Crossings (LCs): The points where railway lines intersect with roads, which the policy seeks to improve and eliminate for safety reasons.
Kavach: A highly technology intensive system which requires safety certification of the highest order. Kavach was adopted as a National ATP system in July 2020
Maharashtra: The specific state where the railway level crossing improvements are taking place, focusing the impact of the policies.
Ministry of Railways
RAILWAY LEVEL CROSSINGS IN
MAHARASHTRA
Posted On: 11 FEB 2026 4:57PM by PIB Mumbai
Mumbai, 11 February 2026
As on 01.04.2025, there are 601 Nos. of Level Crossings (LCs) including 595 Nos. Manned Level
Crossings (MLCs) in the state of Maharashtra.
In order to ensure safety, all Unmanned level crossings (UMLCs) on the Broad Gauge (BG)
network of Indian Railways have been eliminated by 31.01.2019. No consequential train
accident has occurred at Level Crossings situated in the state of Maharashtra during the last five
years.
Further, sanctioning and execution of works of Road Over Bridges/ Road Under Bridges
(ROBs/RUBs) for elimination of LCs is a continuous and ongoing process on Indian Railways.
Such works are prioritized and taken up on the basis of its impact on safety and mobility in train
operations and impact on road users.
Nos. of ROBs/ RUBs constructed on Indian Railways during the period 2004-14 vis a vis 2014-25
(upto Dec’25) is as under:
Period ROBs/ RUBs constructed
2004-14 4,148 Nos.
2014-25 (upto Dec’25) 13,882 Nos.(including 1,228 Nos. in the state of
Maharashtra)
As on 01.01.2026, 4,769 Nos. ROBs/RUBs are sanctioned at the cost of ₹ 1,14,298 crore on
Indian Railways including 269 Nos. at the cost of ₹ 5,599 crore in the state of Maharashtra
which are at various stages of planning and execution.
Completion & commissioning of ROB/RUB works depends on various factors like cooperation of
State Governments in giving consent for closure of LC, fixing of approach alignment, approval of
General Arrangement Drawing (GAD), land acquisition, removal of encroachment, shifting of
infringing utilities, statutory clearances from various authorities, law and order situation in the
area of project / work sites, duration of working season in a year for the particular project /
area due to climatic conditions etc. All these factors affect the completion time of the projects /
works.
Railways have taken following measures to expedite the progress of ROB/RUB works:
i. Joint survey with concerned State Govt./Road Owning Authority is done before
finalizing the General Arrangement Drawing (GAD) to ensure smooth execution.
ii. Periodic meetings of Railway & State Government officials are done to resolve
various issues related to ROB/RUB works.iii. Standardization of superstructure drawings for various combinations of span,
skewness and width of road on the Railway portion has been done to avoid delays
during the design approval. This has been issued in the form of a compendium,
which can be directly adopted for Road Over Bridge across Railway lines for
expeditious planning.
iv. ROB/RUB works are planned to be executed on a single entity basis by Railway
wherever possible. In case any Road Owning authority/State Govt. wants, then
Railway may permit them to execute the work on a single entity basis.
Safety is accorded the highest priority on Indian Railways. As a consequence of various safety
measures taken over the years, including those for Level Crossings, there has been a steep
decline in the number of accidents.
Number of Consequential Train Accidents has reduced as shown in the table below:-
Year Consequential Accidents
2014-15 135
2025-26 (upto 31.01.2026) 12 (90% lesser)
Another important index showing improvement in safety in train operations is Consequential
Accidents Index, the details of which are as under:-
Consequential Accident Index:-
Year Accident Index
2014-15 0.11
2024-25 0.03 (73% lesser)
338903. index measures the number of consequential accidents as a ratio of total running
Kilometers of all trains.
Accident Index = No. of consequential accidents
No. of trains X million
The various safety measures taken to enhance safety in train operations are as under:-
1. On Indian Railways, the expenditure on Safety related activities has increased over the
years as under:-
Expenditure/Budget on Safety related activities (₹ in Cr.)
2013-14 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26
39,200 87,336 1,01,662 1,14,022 1,17,693
2. Electrical/Electronic Interlocking Systems with centralized operation of points and signals
have been provided at 6,660 stations up to 31.12.2025 to reduce accidents due to human
failure.
3. Interlocking of Level Crossing (LC) Gates has been provided at 10,097 Level Crossing
Gates up to 31.12.2025 for enhancing safety at LC Gates.4. Complete Track Circuiting of stations to enhance safety by verification of track occupancy
by electrical means has been provided at 6,665 stations up to 31.12.2025.
5. Kavach is a highly technology intensive system, which requires safety certification of the
highest order. Kavach was adopted as a National ATP system in July 2020. Based on
deployment of Kavach version 3.2 on 1465 RKm on South Central Railway and experience
gained, further improvements were made. Finally, Kavach specification version 4.0 was
approved by RDSO on 16.07.2024. After extensive and elaborate trials, Kavach Version
4.0 has been successfully commissioned on 1297 Route Kilometres, covering the high
density Delhi - Mumbai and Delhi - Howrah routes. On the Delhi - Mumbai route Kavach
ver 4.0 has been commissioned on Junction cabin - Palwal - Mathura - Nagda section (667
Rkm) & Ahmedabad - Vadodara - Virar section (432 Rkm) and on the Delhi - Howrah route
on Gaya – Sarmatanr (93 Rkm) and Bardhaman - Howrah section (105 Rkm).
6. Detailed instructions on issues related with safety of Signalling, e.g. mandatory
correspondence check, alteration work protocol, preparation of completion drawing, etc.
have been issued.
7. System of disconnection and reconnection for S&T equipment as per protocol has been re-
emphasized.
8. All locomotives are equipped with Vigilance Control Devices (VCD) to improve alertness of
Loco Pilots.
9. Retro-reflective sigma boards are provided on the mast which is located two OHE masts
prior to the signals in electrified territories to alert the crew about the signal ahead when
visibility is low due to foggy weather.
10. A GPS based Fog Safety Device (FSD) is provided to loco pilots in fog affected areas which
enables loco pilots to know the distance of the approaching landmarks like signals, level
crossing gates, etc.
11. Modern track structure consisting of 60kg, 90 Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS) rails,
Prestressed Concrete Sleeper (PSC) Normal/Wide base sleepers with elastic fastening, fan
shaped layout turnout on PSC sleepers, Steel Channel/H-beam Sleepers on girder bridges
is used while carrying out primary track renewals.
12. Mechanisation of track laying activity through use of track machines like PQRS, TRT, T-28
etc. to reduce human errors.
13. Maximizing supply of 130m/260m long rail panels for increasing progress of rail renewal
and avoiding welding of joints, thereby improving safety.
14. Ultrasonic Flaw Detection (USFD) testing of rails to detect flaws and timely removal of
defective rails.
15. Laying of longer rails, minimizing the use of Alumino Thermic Welding and adoption of
better welding technology for rails i.e., Flash Butt Welding.
16. Monitoring of track geometry by OMS (Oscillation Monitoring System) and TRC (Track
Recording Cars).
17. Patrolling of railway tracks to look out for weld/rail fractures.
18. The use of Thick Web Switches and Weldable CMS Crossing in turnout renewal works.
19. Inspections at regular intervals are carried out to monitor and educate staff for observance
of safe practices.
20. Web based online monitoring system of track assets viz. Track database and decision
support system has been adopted to decide rationalized maintenance requirements and
optimize inputs.
21. Detailed instructions on issues related with safety of Track, e.g. integrated block, corridor
block, worksite safety, monsoon precautions, etc. have been issued.
22. Preventive maintenance of railway assets (Coaches & Wagons) is undertaken to ensure
safe train operations.
23. Replacement of conventional ICF design coaches with LHB design coaches is being done.
24. All unmanned level crossings (UMLCs) on the Broad Gauge (BG) route have been
eliminated by January 2019.
25. Safety of Railway Bridges is ensured through regular inspection of Bridges. The
requirement of repair/rehabilitation of Bridges is taken up based upon the conditions
assessed during these inspections.26. Indian Railways has displayed Statutory “Fire Notices” for widespread passenger
information in all coaches. Fire posters are provided in every coach so as to educate and
alert passengers regarding various Do’s and Don’ts to prevent fire. These include
messages regarding not carrying any inflammable material, explosives, prohibition of
smoking inside the coaches, penalties etc.
27. Production Units are providing Fire detection and suppression systems in newly
manufactured Power Cars and Pantry Cars, Fire and Smoke detection systems in newly
manufactured coaches. Progressive fitment of the same in existing coaches is also
underway by Zonal Railways in a phased manner.
28. Regular counselling and training of staff is undertaken.
29. Concept of Rolling Block introduced in Indian Railways (Open Lines) General Rules vide
Gazette notification dated 30.11.2023, wherein work of integrated maintenance/
repair/replacement of assets is planned up to 52 weeks in advance on rolling basis and
executed as per plan.
The details of the Safety related works related to better maintenance practices, Technological
improvements, better infrastructure and rolling stock etc. undertaken by Railways are tabulated
below:-
S.N. Item 2004-05 to 2014-15 to 2024- 2014-2
2013-14 25 2004
Technological Improvements
1. Use of high-quality rails 57,450 Km 1.43 Lakh Km More than
(60 Kg) (Km)
2. Longer Rail Panels 9,917 Km 77,522 Km Nearly 8
(260m) (Km)
3. Electronic Interlocking 837 Stations 3,691 Stations More than
(Stations)
4. Fog Pass Safety Devices (Nos.) As on 31.03.14: As on 31.03.25: 288 ti
25,939 Nos.
90 Nos.
5. Thick Web Switches (Nos.) Nil 28,301 Nos.
Better Maintenance Practices
1. Primary Rail Renewal (Track 32,260 Km 49,941 Km 1.5 tim
Km)
2. USFD (Ultra Sonic Flaw 79.43 Lakh 2 Crore More than
detection) Testing of Welds
(Nos.)3. Weld failures (Nos.) In 2013-14: In 2024-25: 90 % red
3699 Nos.
370 Nos.
4. Rail fractures (Nos.) In 2013-14: In 2024-25: More tha
2548 Nos. reduc
289 Nos.
Better Infrastructure and Rolling Stock
1. New Track KM added (Track 14,985 Km 34,428 Km More than
Km)
2. Flyovers (RoBs)/Underpasses 4,148 Nos. 13,808 Nos. More than
(RUBs) (Nos.)
3. Unmanned Level crossings As on 31.03.14: As on 31.03.24:Nil Remo
(Nos.) on BG 8,948 (All eliminated by
31.01.19)
4. Manufacture of LHB Coaches 2,337 Nos. 42,677 More th
(Nos.) time
This information was given by the Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting and
Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a written reply to a question in
Lok Sabha today.
* * *
PIB Mumbai | Yash Rane/Darshana Rane
Follow us on social media: @PIBMumbai /PIBMumbai /pibmumbai pibmumbai[at]gmail[dot]com /PIBMu
mbai /pibmumbai
(Release ID: 2226494) Visitor Counter : 31