Guwahati: The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has strengthened safety measures at level crossing (LC) gates across its network through upgraded signalling systems, modern technology adoption and enhanced maintenance practices, officials said on Wednesday.

Emphasising that safety remains central to railway operations, NFR said level crossing gates are critical for ensuring the safe movement of both trains and road traffic. The zone has prioritised measures that reduce human intervention, improve system reliability and enhance passenger and road user safety.

NFR Chief Public Relations Officer Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said the railway has been systematically upgrading interlocked level crossing gates, which regulate train and vehicular movement through fail-safe signalling and interlocking mechanisms.

Currently, NFR operates 624 interlocked LC gates, with eight new gates commissioned during the 2025–26 financial year, reinforcing the zone’s safety framework.

Sliding booms and electric lifting barriers

To further enhance visibility and physical safety at crossings, sliding boom arrangements have been installed at 10 LC gates in the Katihar division (Bihar) and the Rangiya and Tinsukia divisions (Assam). In total, 582 sliding booms have been provided across the zone so far.

The railway has also made significant progress in replacing mechanical barriers with Electric Lifting Barriers (ELBs), which offer faster response and higher operational reliability. A total of 500 ELBs have been commissioned across NFR, including a newly installed unit in the Rangiya division. During the current financial year alone, 14 mechanical barriers have been replaced with ELBs.

System checks and signalling upgrades

As part of its safety audit programme, System Integrity Testing (SIT) has been conducted at 220 level crossing gates to ensure robust and fail-safe signalling operations. Additionally, signalling cable meggering has been carried out at 32 LC gates to detect potential electrical faults and maintain critical infrastructure health.

NFR officials said these sustained efforts underline the railway’s commitment to safer train operations and enhanced public protection at level crossings.

The Northeast Frontier Railway operates across the North-Eastern states, in addition to seven districts of West Bengal and five districts of North Bihar.

IANS