Railway to launch campaign over level crossing

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Rajesh Agrawal said the railway will launch a campaign to sensitise the people over unmanned level crossing in the state. Addressing a press conference here, he said the campaign was aimed at reducing accidents at level crossing to zero level with the help of local administration. 'Kerala witnesses as many as 5,000 road deaths each year due to rash and negligent driving.

The campaign will also help to reduce road accidents in the State. Most of the accidents in rail crossing cause due to negligent driving,' he added. Stating that all the level crossing would be manned by 2013 in the State, he said the Railway would cooperate with the state government to speed up all the pending Rail Over Bridge works. The DRM told this in the wake of yesterday's accident in which five were killed at Aroor in Alappuzha. The accident occurred when the car in which they were travelling attempted to cross an unmanned level crossing hit with a speedy-train.