Cuddalore train accident: LC gate closed at 7.06 am; bikers forced gatekeeper to partially open it

CHENNAI: The fatal train-van collision at Semmankuppam in Cuddalore has thrown light on the perilous state of affairs in the Southern Railway (SR). As per official records, over a fifth of the manned level crossings in the SR zone — 314 of 1,767 — were not interlocked till 2024.

Interlocking, a mechanism in which the LC gates are linked directly to the signalling system to optimise safety, would have prevented the gatekeeper from manually opening the gate for traffic at Semmankuppam.

R Elangovan, former vice president of DREU, a recognised union of SR, told DT Next that the zone has been executing the interlocking work gradually due to fund availability, and the mishap could have been avoided if it had been interlocked. He, however, said that interlocking could offer only a partial solution, as gatekeepers like Pankaj Sharma, who has now been suspended and arrested for violating the rules at Semmankuppam, face enormous pressure from the vehicle users. “The bikers and other vehicle users force the gatekeeper to open such non-interlocked gates. People are not ready to wait for 20 minutes,” he said, citing two cases on June 12 and 21 in Mayiladuthurai, where three commuters were arrested for assaulting gatekeepers at LC 144 and 175 for refusing to open the non-interlocked gates. The arrested trio came out on bail only recently. From what he said, it is a catch-22 situation for gatekeepers.

Recalling a case in the same Trichy division last year where a gatekeeper was dismissed from service, Elangovan said, “Back then, the gatekeeper opened the gate and erected a banner flag on the track and stopped an approaching train to make way for an ambulance transporting a pregnant woman. He was terminated. The union intervened and argued that the gatekeeper adhered to safety, and it only affected train punctuality. He was finally reinstated.”