Bhubaneswar: In what could be termed as a welcome move towards the safety of commuters and the smooth running of trains, Railways has decided to abolish almost 70 level crossings in Odisha and replace them with subways for the uninterrupted passage of road traffic.
In fact, the Joint Secretary of Odisha Works Department has directed all the district collectors to expedite the issuance of NOCs in favour of the South Eastern Railway so that the proposed subways could be built as soon as possible.
The letter addressed to all the district collectors and DMs, the Joint Secretary of the Works Department, Bimalendu Ray stated that "I am directed to say that SE Railway has sought consent of the state government for closure of Level Crossings across Odisha to facilitate timely running of trains and safety of the road users."
"In replacement of Level Crossings, Railways is constructing adequately-sized subways for the passage of road traffic at 100% Railway's cost. For the same, SE Railway is pursuing for NOC in this regard by its Railway Division officers in various districts," stated the letter.